A World Unending
by JumpingTheMoon
Summary: Book Four in my series of the novelization, rewrite of SOAL. Wherein the crew pushes the boundries of the world and seeks the Blue Crystal. Rated M for the final scene of the final chapter. This book is complete.
1. Honor

**Skies Of Arcadia Legends**

**Book Four- A World Unending**

_By Jonathan Pelikan_

* * *

Chapter One- Honor

The sun had been up over Cape Victory for several hours, although even in the morning air the sky looked an angry red, and the ever-present Dark Rift stretched out it's forbidding walls of black wind to one side of the horizon. In Esperanza, many were already up and about, for the first exciting thing in quite a while was going to happen in a few hours, and they would bear witness to it.

The _Delphinus_ and her crew were going to single-handedly take on the task force of Valuan Admiral Gregorio. The aforementioned crew were all awake, and some had actually managed to grab a decent amount of sleep, even as tension over the coming battle rose to a feverish level. Having enjoyed a rest on solid ground, they were already back aboard ship, in the Mess Hall and taking a hearty breakfast, except for Enrique, who preferred his stomach empty until after the fight for obvious reasons.

She had a lot on her mind. One of only two surviving descendants of the ancient Silver Civilization, Fina brushed a lock of clear golden hair out from her large and gentle eyes, staring out one of the Mess Hall's windows into the ominous sky. Her pet and companion in battle and life was a small mechanical creature called Cupil, a shape shifter that followed her commands and communicated via a mental link. It had assumed it's usual shape- that of a fairly rotund inflated balloon with a small tail, and was floating over her shoulder.

"Hey." She looked up, seeing him standing in front of her table with several plates full of food miraculously balanced on his arms. "Mind if I have a seat?" Vyse Dyne was an air pirate. The skyglass eye-patch over one eye, gash-like scar under the other, longish, nearly unkempt hair and blue sailing tunic all communicated that, although his face was that of a confident and caring man, and people found it easy to trust him. He was the Captain of the _Delphinus_, and one of her first friends in the world.

"You're late," Aika chimed from her seat next to Fina. Aika Vazquez was a childhood friend of Vyse, Fina's and Vyse's' lover, and an air pirate with flaming long red hair that was usually confined into a scarecrow-like set of braids. She wore a tight-fitting one piece yellow dress that perfectly showed off her mature form, and was one of the most magically adept people on the crew. "I still can't believe you actually got her to Slipara your ass to sleep."

"The spell was a little stronger than a usual sleeping spell," Vyse admitted, skillfully depositing the food and sitting across from the two girls at one of the many tables in the almost cavernous room. "I guess Fina's more powerful when she just wakes up, heh."

"I'll be more careful next time," The Silvite promised, reddening slightly under the minor criticism by her love interest.

"Psh. Yeah. Next time knock him out permanently," Aika said, following her suggestion by sticking out her tongue in a very childish manner at Vyse. Vyse, in consternation, did the same thing back to her, rendering both teenagers rather ridiculous looking.

"Sorry to interrupt the intellectual meeting of minds." Enrique was the crown prince of the Valuan Empire, the most powerful and ruthless nation on the face of the planet. With an exceedingly fair and gentle complexion, well-groomed blonde hair and a lithe figure, he seemed slightly effeminate, but was guided by a strong will and sense of morality, and was fierce with his royal rapier in battle. He was also airsick, although in today's battle he would be making the greatest effort to control himself and help his friends win against Gregorio's fleet. He sat down next to Vyse, smiling at everyone.

"No problem," Vyse said, pulling back his tongue. He then registered a suggestion about what Aika could do with her tongue that had both blondes sputtering and beet-red and Aika with a lecherous grin to match his own.

"Alright, everyone, listen up." The voice of their erstwhile and veteran Vice Captain, the mysterious and straight-laced David LeCroix, carried throughout the room, and the crew paused whatever conversations they were on about to turn and listen in. David's mop of hair covered most of his face, and his expansive red tunic and cloak covered almost all of his body, rendering him totally concealed from curious eyes. Subordinate to Gilder the Unfettered, his knowledge and expertise had proved a saving grace many times to his comrades.

"Gregorio's tactics involve a judicious use of force deployment. What that means in people-speak is that he's not going to come at us all at once with his fleet, but send his force against us in at least two separate waves. Our ship is superior in every way but defense to the Defender cruisers, and our main guns will easily rip through even their thick armor plating. He knows this, and so I suspect he will send his ships in two pairs against us, and if we destroy all four Defenders, then he'll bring the _Auriga_ into play. That ship's armor will be a tough nut to crack indeed, and I don't think anything less than the Moonstone Cannon can get the job done."

"Why not just bum-rush us all at once?" Aika spoke up. "I mean, with five-to-one odds we'd probably just get pulped real quick, even if we can beat the enemy on even terms."

"If Gregorio ever had a flaw in his tactics, then it would be that he over analyzes a situation, and often over-estimates the strength of his opponents. The _Claudia_ got into a tangle with his fleet once, and because he deployed peace meal, we could take out enough ships to escape. He also doesn't adapt well to changes. This is all going to work to our benefit...

But fighting two Defenders at a time is going to make the field almost even, and we're going to take some damage, alright. I want everyone ready for damage-control, we have to keep the ship as much together as possible during the first fights so we have enough defenses left to tangle with the _Auriga_."

Vyse nodded. "So basically, the plan is to blow up the enemy and stop us from getting blown up?" A general round of laughs passed around the Mess Hall, and the tension in the room dropped a little bit in light of the humor.

"You've grasped the basics," The Vice Captain grinned. "Finish up your plates, then put em in the sink over there, and scrape the food remains off first, for the love of the Moons. I don't care if we're pirates, you can at least learn how to take care of your dishes while we rape and pillage. Once everyone is at their posts, we should get moving, and take the initiative for the battle."

Khazim, one of the gunners who was in charge of the ship's main cannon battery, was quite happy about recent developments. "Alright! It's finally time to get some revenge on the Armada, and sink a few shells into their stinkin' hulls!"

"Are you going to be ok, Enrique?" Vyse asked seriously, turning to the prince.

"I hope so," Enrique replied with a sigh. "I think my airsickness is getting a little better, bit by bit, and Doc's medications are helping, too. I'll do my part in the fight, don't worry." He gave them a reassuring simile as they carried their rather empty plates up to deposit them in the growing stacks in the warm soapy water ran by the ship's cook, Polly.

They headed up to the bridge together, taking their place on the command deck of the battleship. Lawrence was still at the helm, having already woken up and eaten breakfast. The man said nothing as they entered the room, even though he seemed more tense than usual, and for good reason. The Valuan Armada was never something to be taken lightly.

Marco peeked into the room. "Hey, Vyse, some guy named Don is here to see you. He's waitin' out on the deck. Looks like a drunk to me, really."

Vyse blinked. _Don? What does he want?_ "Thanks, Marco." He made his way through the ship, down several flights of stairs and out the main hatch, stepping onto the reinforced metal deck. Standing there was indeed the washed up ex-Sailor, bottle of Loqua clutched in one hand and wearing an unusually sober expression. "What is it?" The Pirate captain asked. "We're kinda busy. We're getting ready to go kick a Valuan Fleet's ass back across the sky."

"You're really gonna do it?" Don asked hollowly. "Take on Admiral Gregorio and his squadron with just this crew and a single ship?"

"That's the plan," Aika chirped from next to him. She had followed him down, also interested in hearing out the Esperanzan shipwreck.

"I don't doubt your abilities," He continued. "But I used to be a pilot in the Armada. I know full well what they're all capable of, and I have to tell you, going up against one of their Admirals is plain suicide.

Vyse smirked, looking around. "Take a look at this ship, Don. It's the best, in the world. We're a lot faster than anything Gregorio can field, and we've also got a firepower advantage, even if he is tougher. I think we can do it."

"But... even if you win, you'll never ford the Dark Rift," The drunk objected further.

"Like I already said, our ship is the best. Our engines are of a class nobody's seen before, and they're more powerful than a Spectre. That means that we just might have a shot at it. Besides..." He looked up into the morning sky. "I've always wanted to see what was beyond the horizon... beyond the edge of the world. Now is the time, the chance to fulfill my dream. If we fail, Valua is going to destroy the entire world, and nobody will ever be able to stop them again." He favored Don with his confident smirk. "I would be a liar if I said I wasn't scared. But I won't let this chance pass me by."

The Esperanzan paused for several seconds, taking in the teenage air pirate's words. "Hm... then I guess nothing I could possibly say is going to persuade you." He sighed and took another swig from his bottle. "Listen good. The Dark Rift is an enormous vortex. If you can get past the first layer and to the center, you might make it. It's rumored the eye is calm, just like regular storms. There are other calmer pockets throughout... if you leapfrog across those pockets, you may have the slightest chance."

"I see... thank you, Don." Vyse gave him the thumbs-up sign. "When we're done, I promise to return here someday. When that day comes, maybe you'll reconsider sailing again."

"... Maybe," The man nodded, turning and taking his leave, walking down the metal boarding ramp back down to the docks and looking as the ramp was pulled back up after her. Vyse nodded to him and then returned to the bridge, and he smiled whimsically to himself. "Heh. Reminds me of someone real familiar his age... wonder what I've lost." _Vyse, you'd better win, after all that inspirational junk you been spewin'. Oh, I'm gonna be an old softie again if this keeps up..._ "Hm. Better get more Loqua, this should be good."

David got to the bridge a few minutes later. "Everyone's ready," He announced. "It's time to go fight Gregorio." He leaned over to the set of talking-tubes, opening the one down to the deck. "Cut the lines and reel up the anchors." He clicked over to Engineering. "Ready the engines for battle speed, and turn over full control to the helm station." Everyone rushed to comply with his orders. The _Delphinus_ soon began to drift away from Esperanza, the massive sets of propellers mounted on the ship's back picking up more speed each second.

Under it's own power, the airship began to fly away, climbing up slightly and leaving behind the hopeless city, headed for the distant dots on the horizon that could only be the Second Fleet of the Armada. Every crew member reported in and told Vyse the same thing- they were all ready. Everything was now set in motion, and the ship began to pick up even more speed, rocketing forward.

"Battlestations," Vyse ordered. "Here comes the first enemy ships! Main cannons, fire on my mark..." _Here we go..._

0-0

"My Lord, the _Delphinus_ has taken off from the city. They're accelerating to attack posture, and heading straight for us." The radar operator was hunched over the primitive display case which showed the results of the moonstone sonar scans that periodically pulsed through the air around the _Auriga_.

Gregorio sighed. "So, it will be war, then. Our orders are to bring back the Prince to Valua... alive, or if he resists, dead. We must not allow that to happen. Send the first wave to meet them, and order them to target their weapons. Do not sink the ship, only disable it."

Two of the Defenders moved ahead of the fleet, and prepared to meet the charging prototype airship halfway across the sky from their positions. With the crackle of thunderous cannon, the first long-range volleys whistled through the air, most of the flaming projectiles roundly missing on either side and leaving dozens of burning trails in the sky. Several hit, causing small explosions to bloom on the armor of the Defenders, and a solid shot to shake the _Delphinus_.

As they drew nearer, the pirate flagship switched to it's secondary coils, firing almost solid streams of smaller explosive shells that peppered one of the Defenders and shook the Valuan ship heavily with the raw firepower of the enemy's secondaries. Both of the slower Valuan ships veered to either side, returning fire with their sub cannons on the sides of their ships. The _Delphinus_ passed between them at over twice their speed, rippling ahead before sharply turning.

"Torpedoes on my mark..." Vyse turned to Enrique, who manipulated the targeting control system on the bridge with a skill that had probably been given to him by training. "Fire." Columns of smoke and angry flame shot out of the explosively opening hatches on the prow of the airship, and four torpedoes rocketed skywards.

"Incoming! The enemy has magic cannons!" Even as Aika said this, a dozen Crystales shells landed on and around them, forming magical ice over the sturdy armor of the ship. She looked around. "The spells didn't seem to have much effect at all besides freezing parts of our side-armor." The Defenders were being encircled by the _Delphinus_, turning with all of their might to keep their ships facing the enemy as their topside cannons fired away. Solid shot, concussion shot and more purple and yellow magics rained down upon them, because the ship was not taking evasive action.

The enemy received worse, however, as the gunners used the nearly steady gun platform to unleash hideous batteries into the heavily armed but slow opponents. A main cannon shot exploded on the prow of the lead enemy ship, ripping and cracking sheets of white-hot metal off into the sky and literally pushing the ship back with the explosive force. Two torpedo shots landed on the weak, wooden top armor of the target, the plunging shots burrowing into the interior of the craft before unleashing their power.

The Defender was gutted effectively, as rolling waves of flame from the explosion, trapped inside the decks of the ship, melted through personnel, equipment, or ammunition alike, setting several enemy magazines aflame and bringing them into a chain-reaction which was quickly ripping the metal airship apart. It wobbled in the air, large armor segments steadily falling off and the wooden deck completely burning.

"Woah! That got em!" David smirked. "That ship is going down... the life pods are headed for Esperanza, heh. Vyse, what about the second one?"

"Let's end it quick," The pirate captain commanded, as two more enemy shells melted small parts of the flagship's side armor. "Lawrence, ramming speed. David, let's give them a taste of some DeLoco-class hospitality." The Vice Captain stepped up to the controls of the _Delphinus_' most powerful super-weapon, known as the Moonstone Cannon. The airship turned again, stopping it orbit to head directly in for the Defender, who seemed frozen in their crosshairs before starting to fire again. "Think you can handle this thing while they rock the boat?"

"I know I can," LeCroix stated flatly. "Charging now." The nose-armor of the Delphinus opened up like the petals of a metallic flower about to bloom, producing the long, thin black barrel of the cannon from within the depths of the armor. Energy pulsated around it in purple waves, flowing over the deck and collecting in a brighter sphere every moment in the muzzle. "Ready!"

They were getting closer and closer to the enemy. The Defender attempted evasive action, but it was so unwieldy, Lawrence had little trouble keeping the nose-fin of the ship lined up like a targeting sight with the short, bulky craft. "Moonstone Cannon," Vyse ordered, gripping the side of a control panel, "Fire!"

No armor in the world could defend a ship against the nearly almighty force projected now outwards at the command of the _Delphinus_' crew. A purple beam shot through the air, instantly connecting the blue and white pirate ship with the rust-red Defender Cruiser. The beam passed right through it with absolutely no effort, melting almost everything contained within the superstructure, including the ship's power plant, which ceased to function even before, a moment later, the beam withdrew itself, fading out into nothingness.

The propellers keeping the ship afloat simply stopped receiving power, their huge metal fan-blades grinding to a halt. With no source of lift, the heavy ship was seized by gravity's all-encompassing hand and dragged beneath the clouds, bound for Deep Sky forever.

Soaring right over the sinking ship, the _Delphinus_ doubled back for Esperanza to await the next wave, the crew both enjoying their first set of victories and effecting emergency repairs to some damages made by the enemy. Gregorio exhibited no outward reaction to the anxiety beginning to creep through him. That ship is twice as powerful as even the optimists hoped... and those pirates are skilled. I had better attack with everything this time... it's the only chance. "Form the _Gatekeeper_ and _Shieldarm_ up. Helm, full steam forward, all hands, prepare for engagement."

On the docks of Esperanza, a hundred former sailors, pirates, and soldiers were all cheering and whooping, shouting out to the distant cannon-fire explosions as if it was a popular sporting event in the Valuan Coliseum. "Yeah! Yeah! Get em! Turn there, go left! Go left, you idiots! Kids today ain't not no tactical skills!" One of them decried, joining the chorus.

"Check out that super cannon," A woman said, smirking. "Knocked everything clean out of that enemy ship. Is that the thing DeLoco had on his ship a few months ago?"

It was as if it was a professional gathering of active sailors discussing their trade with enthusiasm to an exhibition out in the sky, not the ruins of a hopeless city forgotten by the world. Don surveyed the effects that Vyse's actions were having on the thrilled crowd of onlookers, and huffed angrily. "They might have defeated the first wave, but here comes all three remaining ships, at once. They're in for a tough battle this time, and I bet that cannon needs a while to charge up."

A stray round of long-range cannon shells soared in, hitting the cliff walls to either side of the sailing city, and blasting off large stone chunks that tumbled downwards beneath the clouds. "Incoming!" Someone yelled as an unlucky shot landed right above them, sending boulders and rocks tumbling downwards into the crowd, which began to panic and scatter.

Don held his position, stoically watching the battle begin to unfold with his arms crossed, his expression more sober than it had been for a long while. He retained this air of seriousness until a small yet fast-moving rock clobbered the top of his head, at which time he fell to the ground comically, knocked pretty far out for a while.

Onboard the bridge of the _Delphinus_, Aika looked up from her radar. "Hey, guys, the _Auriga_'s coming in with the other two ships. Looks like they're going to try and all rush us now."

"It's finally time..." Enrique frowned up at the approaching dots in the sky. "Uncle Gregorio, I won't let you take me back to Valua!" He hunched over the torpedo array, commanding the automated machines to reload another round of explosives into the tubes, which they did with admirable speed.

"Vyse, we need a plan. Do you want us to focus our firepower on the _Auriga_ or her escort ships first?" David asked, looking up from the Moonstone Cannon controls.

"Divide and conquer," Lawrence advised. "The Defenders are weaker, and if we take them out we can engage Gregorio's flagship on even terms."

"If we demolish the _Auriga_ first, the escorts will bug out," Aika dissented, staring into the sky. The distinct explosions of long-range fire began to appear in the sky between them, the Valuan guns throwing poorly aimed covering smoke and fire in the general direction of the _Delphinus_.

Vyse pondered for several moments, tapping his fingers on the metal cover of the control panel. "Alright. We're going to cut through their squadron, straight through, and aim for the Defenders first. We'll pick both of them off and then turn our attention on the flagship. Belle, Khazim, I want all guns ready for an Alpha Strike on my command." Alpha Strike was the simple principle of unloading every weapon system on a ship at once, which would presumably cause massive damage to a nearby enemy. "Enrique, what's the recharge time on the Moonstone Cannon? ... Enrique?" He looked over at the silent prince.

"Sorry," The blonde said nervously. "Feeling a bit woozy... according to the ship's specifications we'll be able to fire again in two minutes."

"Now I know how DeLoco feels when we kick his can around the skies," Vyse sighed. "Alright, let's go!" The crew leapt into action again, and the forms of the three Valuan airships speeding towards them continued to grow. Two shells landed hits on the _Delphinus_, striking one of the side-fins and vaporizing it. Lawrence struggled to keep the ship on-balance, managing to stay the course as more hits challenged the reinforced armor plating of the royal ship.

Closer, closer, and closer still soared the two opposing forces, and the _Delphinus_ still offered no return fire, which only made Gregorio suspicious. Vyse hunched over his command console, keeping his footing as the floor shivered and shook from hits. "Get ready..."

The moment before they passed the three armored airships, he bellowed, "Alpha Strike! Fire!" And the ship was rocked harder than any enemy cannons could. The kinetic energy of every gun aboard the ship was released all at once, turning the world out the viewport into one of smoke, flame, and rattling thunder which blanketed their minds.

They were clear past the enemy, and the lookout, Luke, opened his talking tube to report even as Lawrence swung them in a wide turning arc for another pass. "Vyse, we really clobbered one of the Defenders, it's trailing smoke but it's still airborne." The ship rattled again. "They're firing more Purple Magic at us! What are they-"

The floor fell out from under them, and nobody kept their footing. Slamming back to the ground a moment later, the crew looked around in confusion as the Delphinus began to sink. "Report," Vyse demanded, sitting up.

"We lost a good chunk of our propeller power," Lawrence stated in a surprisingly collected manner, considering the situation. "Magical ice has formed in the engine fans behind us, and stopped many of them from turning. Power levels across the ship are beginning to drain, and we can't keep this altitude." To further prove his point the frame began to groan and the nose tilted further downwards, the distant but approaching lower clouds of Deep Sky looming.

"Oh crap," David cursed. "If we don't get the propellers free of that ice, we're going to sink!" If the ship slipped below the fatal lower cloud covers of Deep Sky, then it would never be seen again, the air pressure would crush them further and further as they descended until they were no longer recognizable as a ship and people. "We have to do something!"

Aika snapped her fingers. She turned, abandoning her post on the bridge and running down the hallway towards the main door to the outside deck. Vyse watched her from above curiously as she ran out amongst the rippling wind, struggling to keep her footing as the ship tilted more and more downwards. She looked around, then knelt and began focusing both her spiritual and magical energies into her boomerang. Flaming-red light appeared around her, growing in intensity. _Focus... focus..._

"Here goes..." She tossed the flaming boomerang straight up into the air, leaping forward and grabbing hold of it, curling herself into a ball around the weapon. The boomerang's power began to get more bright, a blinding white light pouring out from it's aspect. Suddenly she uncurled, pulled back, tossing down the boomerang. Six flaming copies broke apart and tumbled downwards around the entire ship, cutting burning arcs through the air. From these beacons which began to spin around the _Delphinus_, walls of fire appeared, completely covering the ship in a shell of magical heat.

"Omega Psyclone!" Aika bellowed, her voice echoing as the flames intensified, washing over the metal airship. Almost instantly, all the ice covering the ship evaporated away into hazy clouds of steam which billowed forth in an imitation of smoke, and superheated the armor until it glowed white-hot. Everyone in the ship felt the temperature skyrocket. The blue paint across the ship also evaporated, leaving the ship unmarked.

The flames began to recede, as Aika fell to the deck, and the spiritual attack ended. Flickering out, the steam and smoke blasted into the sky as the ship continued falling, but the main engine propellers and turbines mounted in the back of the battleship were now free. The winds rippled over the hull, slowly cooling it down again.

Lawrence pulled up on the throttle. "Power's back," He declared. "All power to the engines, full steam..." Vyse pulled down the helm control, and the ship's power plant roared. The fan blades spun quicker and quicker, pushing them back up away from the cloud layer even as Lawrence twisted the ship around to face the enemy and Esperanza in the distance.

Everyone on the dock watched in amazement as the _Delphinus_ cleared itself of ice and turned up, salvaging it's seeming doom in what was seen as a miracle. The crowd began to go even more wild than before, convinced of the divine providence of the Red Moon that had favored them with salvation, and cheering on the Blue Rogues as they came in to continue the fight.

"Aw, that paint job was awesome..." David sighed. "Well, I guess it's a small price to pay. We can always repaint the hull later... Aika! Are you ok? That was incredible, what you did out there!"

The redhead seemed fatigued but smiled proudly under the praise of the Vice Captain. "Thanks. It's a new move I thought up on the spot from my Alpha Storm and Lambda Burst." She looked up. "Let's show Gregorio we're tougher than he thinks!"

"Torpedoes, fire," Vyse commanded, and Enrique sent a round of the missiles straight into the air, tilted slightly so their angle would bring them down at the Valuan ships. He stared up at the damaged Defender, which was sluggishly moving to avoid the torpedo volley. "Belle, secondaries! Fire!" The smaller shells rippled through the air, many of them scoring long-range hits and dancing incendiary explosions across the flawed and scorched surface of the enemy's armor.

"Main cannons..." He paused, looking up. Enrique's volley were plunging back down through the blood-red sky, and were seconds away from impact. "Now!" The ship rumbled under the force of the main battery, which let loose a pair of large shells that hit the Defender in the same instant that the torpedoes did. The already-damaged hull began to come apart under the enormous destruction inflicted upon it, and a shell obliterated the bridge, ruining the last chance the enemy ship had for survival.

Descending slowly towards the clouds, it spewed dozens of lifeboats which all made a beeline for the shore with their Valuan crews, but the _Delphinus_ ignored them completely.

The _Auriga_ and the last remaining cruiser both opened fire, their large rotating cannons mounted on their decks sending waves of solid shot and concussion into their adversary. One of the shells hit directly below the bridge, shaking the room so badly everyone fell and Lawrence lost control for a few moments, enough time for them to unload another round which ripped into storage compartments and destroyed delicate supplies. Crates and containers whipped about around them in the wind, sucked out by the vacuum created with the smoking holes in the superstructure.

Passing the Valuans again, they turned a tighter arc and found themselves within moments making yet another attack run. Their cannons continued to pound the other Defender, shattering it with a few more volleys while the enemy's fire slowly accumulated damage and scars on the royal flagship. Occasionally their magic cannons threw Driln spells out for them, but they either missed, or backup power generators took over, rendering the EMP effect of the Yellow Magic useless.

Gregorio stared down the fleeing aspect of the _Delphinus_ as it swooped in the air with a powerful agility he couldn't hope to match. "Signal the _Latchkey_ to break off and retreat. They're no match for that thing..." _Well, you've made it past my fleet, Blue Rogues, but you will not pass the_ Auriga. "Transfer power from the weapons into engines, and prepare for Hull Ram." His ultimate weapon, as it turned out, was the sheer size and bulk of his ship, combined with the massive spiked prow of the craft, which would crush even the _Delphinus_. He was about to orchestrate a head-on collision of the catastrophic kind.

Lawrence once again spun the ship around, the sluggish engine response due to the fact that most of their rudders and fins had been blown or melted off in the course of combat, and the many pockmarks and holes in the armor plating allowed wind in which disrupted their aerodynamic frame and made them slower. Even with several crew members casting Sacri spells across the ship, the repairs couldn't keep up with the pace at which they sustained new damage.

When Gregorio's flagship swung back into view, it was barreling straight for them at a surprising pace. "Uncle Gregorio's going to ram us," Enrique exclaimed, forcing with all of his will the almost empty contents of his stomach and bracing himself against the torpedo control console.

Vyse ordered the helmsman to take evasive action, but Lawrence was three steps ahead, spinning the wheel with a jerking motion that made the ship's frame groan and shudder under the stress. At such a velocity turning an aerodynamic mess was quite a challenge, but he managed it, and they began to veer away from the _Auriga_ right at the moment of impact.

The horrible, deafening scraping of metal on metal filled their ears, as the top of the flagship ripped into the weak bottom armor of the _Delphinus_, peeling off jagged strips of metal as if it was a tuna can being roughly opened in a dozen places. The friction further cracked their armored shell, and for moments the ship shivered in an intolerable manner before they were finally clear in the sky again.

"They missed, "Aika declared. "And with that much speed, Gregorio's going to have a Huskra trying to turn around. Vyse, now's the time for the Moonstone Cannon- it's ready to go!"

"Alright." Vyse smirked. "Time to finish off the _Auriga_, everyone. Lawrence, get us into firing position. David, charge it up." Even though the armor of the nose was badly bent and cracked, thankfully the black barrel of the cannon emerged and began to gather energy as usual, the waves and patterns of power shifting around the jutting pieces of ragged metal. The nose turned around, and they centered Gregorio's ship in their sights, as it was turning at an agonizingly slow pace to try and avoid the inevitable.

"Ready," The Vice Captain chimed out. The _Auriga_ was almost sideways to them, but still could not escape as the _Delphinus_ rocketed forward, more energy constantly gathering before it and tracing an electric shell through the air.

"Moonstone Cannon! Fire!" Vyse pointed forward, and David hit the firing control. The incalculable energies stored up by the weapon were focused into a large beam and shunted outwards, like every time the super cannon was fired, and it connected the two ships for a split-second.

The moonstone beam melted off over half of the _Auriga_, the massive ship's alloys simply no match for DeLoco's invented weapon. Molten, frayed edges of the ship expelled gases and people fell off the edge as the crew scampered for cover and safety inside and on the deck. Rocking back in the sky, the ship's engines struggled to stabilize it, and several overloaded, leaving the ship afloat, but stranded to almost a crawl in the sky. Instantly, white banners unfurled from the sides, desperate sailors waving them in the flapping winds to signal the ship's surrender.

Lawrence brought the ship to an idling position, as they were near what remained of the second Valuan admiral's flagship. Vyse grinned and whooped. "We did it! We beat Gregorio and his fleet! Hey, David, are we fuckin' bad or what?"

"We're bad, alright," Concurred the astute man with a grin, relaxing at the control panel and letting out a long sigh of relief. The entire crew did the same, letting out a cheer that nearly shook the ship at their amazing victory. Aika slumped to the floor on the red carpet, sprawled out in exhaustion. He looked over at the beeping radio. "Incoming transmission from Gregorio."

As they drifted a bit closer to the ship, the occupants of the two bridges made eye-contact, and the old admiral examined each of them, his frame sagging but still standing upright. He sighed, and they saw his lips move. A second later, the radio carried his words through the air and metal covering them. "_I always thought that if we went into battle together, it would be as allies, and not enemies, Young Prince_..." Enrique walked over to the radio to hear him better, still looking at Gregorio himself. "_Is there anything that I can do to make you reconsider_?"

"No." Enrique stood firm, looking him in the eye, man-to-man. "I am not going back to Valua. I know you've noticed a change as well... in the way the Empire conducts itself. Our forces get more brutal, our tactics less humane, every day. They're headed down a dark path. Trying to rule the world through an iron fist will be the downfall of our nation..." He smiled in the benevolent way which made people naturally trust and accept the born leader. "This world... this sky... is not Valua's to rule. It belongs to the people."

Gregorio offered no reply, and so Enrique concluded, "That's why I'm traveling of my own free will with Vyse and his crew... my friends, all of them. To right the wrongs my people and country have committed. Tell that to my Mother... and also, tell her that I pray to the Yellow Moon every day for her safety and health." He took in a deep breath. "This is goodbye. Fare well, Uncle Gregorio."

"_Farewell, Prince Enrique_," Gregorio simply replied, looking with an enigmatic mix of emotions on his face. Below the surface, a storm of emotion brewed, but the grizzled and veteran old soldier never allowed such things to show. "_Be safe_." _I have failed in my mission.. and yet, I know what he's doing, and it's for the right reasons, as he sees it... I hope you survive your quest, Enrique._

Vyse turned to Lawrence. "We are victorious... now, let's get moving! Into the Dark Rift, full rudder!" At his command, the propeller blades sprang into action again, and the prototype battlecruiser turned away from the broken and battered husk of the _Auriga_, rocketing off straight for the distant band of darkest black in the sky.

In Esperanza, every citizen was in an uproar, the entire city cheering on the victory of the Blue Rogues as they rode off towards their next, still greater challenge. "Those kids were amazing!" An ex-Nasr Marine declared. "They make me feel like tasting the wind on my face again, m'self!"

Don crossed his arms, smiling. "Damn fine job, Vyse. You did it... good luck." _Fording the Dark Rift won't be easy... but if anyone could ever do it, it's gonna be you. I can feel it... I hope you make it, and I hope you make it back here again, like you promised..._

_And when you do, I hope you take me with you... back into the sky. It's where I should have been all along_.


	2. Smooth Sailing

Chapter Two- Smooth Sailing

Regular sky rifts were enormous, wide-spanning, and pernicious storms made of winds that were capable of overpowering all but the most advanced ship types. Pressure in the planet's lower atmosphere caused a volcanism of air that made the unique wall-like patterns of the storms, and they presented severe navigation and safety hazards to all sailors. A ship trapped in a rift would invariably be torn apart or dashed on nearby landmasses, and sky rifts were sources of fear and awe for most Arcadians.

The Dark Rift was a thousand time worse than that. The literal edge of the world for all intents and purposes, the winds repelled all attempts to ford the dark black barrier, or, on occasion, drew ships in, to their doom. Rumors of curses and demons populating the rift circulated freely and the general public fully believed such things, as nobody had ever survived to disprove them.

The trepidation each member of the _Delphinus_' crew felt, looking at the approaching ultimate storm that their comparatively so tiny ship was headed for, was therefore only natural. "It looked smaller... farther away..." Aika noted lamely, scooting a little closer to Vyse and Fina.

"We don't have a choice," David noted grimly. "Yafutoma is that way." He pointed out towards the unknown. He looked over at Lawrence, and the mercenary silently nodded back to him.

"We're going to need to pull bulkheads up at all of the windows, otherwise the winds will simply rip the glass apart," Enrique stated from beside them, struggling to keep his feet as airsickness once again threatened his well-being. "The same goes for all the doors to the outside, which must be bolted and secured with barricades... luckily, the ship has an automated lockdown for such tasks." He walked over to the main control panel and pressed a large yellow button. Klaxons began to sound and everyone hurried inside of the ship, large metal plates unfolding behind them.

The _Delphinus_ created a second armored shell, covering the large viewing windows of the bridge with steel bulkheads, and the door to the main deck automatically secured itself with a series of electronic locks. Back lights mounted on the floor began to cast a gentle illumination onto the entire bridge, and a radar monitor appeared next to the helm controls that displayed a real-time map of symbols around the ship.

"Woah..." Doc smirked, looking back to Enrique as the prince hunched over miserably. "Enrique! Are you gonna be alright? The ship's probably going to be getting quite a bit of a buffeting..."

"Don't worry about me," The disposed monarch said quietly, staring back at his friends. "We're about to attempt something incredibly treacherous. Now is neither the time, nor the place, to be complaining of a little illness..." His brave words were supplanted by his actions as he sat on the deck, back against one of the white control stations.

Lawrence spoke up. "I've located the aperture." On the radar, the odd disturbance of the storm which seemed almost like an entrance was very easy to identify. "Captain?" The long-haired pilot looked over for final confirmation to the younger Blue Rogue.

Vyse nodded. "Ok, Lawrence, now or never. Full speed ahead." The helmsman pulled up the throttle, increasing power to the engines and pushing them further towards the enormous disturbance in the air. They did not see it, but they watched the radar screen as they plunged themselves into the wind, and the ground began to subtly rumble. As the winds around the ship increased, so did the shaking. Lawrence pushed harder on the wheel to maintain control of the ship and keep it on it's course in spite of the overwhelming pressure.

Marco was still excited from all the new things he was seeing, as well as the recently finished fight with the defeated Admiral Gregorio. As the red-haired boy looked around the warmly lit command deck, he noticed a certain small blonde girl sitting in the back corner with her bird, which was nearly the same size as she was. He quietly approached her, and said, "Are you alright?" He could tell she was scared by the continuing groaning of the ship's frame around them, and in truth he was also a little fearful.

As with the many other times that the Valuan had attempted to strike up any kind of conversation with Maria, she simply gave no reply, but her large eyes told enough of the story for him. He grabbed her hand and smiled gently, an expression still unfamiliar to the hard-edged urchin. "Come on, let's go get Polly to make us something, and play with Pow, alright?" She nodded, and they set off from the bridge.

Pinata looked around. "Hm... I wonder how long the ship will hold up under this."

"Doesn't sound encouraging, but if Don's right then we should only be in this high-wind area for a while before we stumble into one of the 'calm pockets'," David observed with a scientist's eye. "Luckily, if there are fiends here, they'll never be able to get at us with the entire ship locked down and the typhoon rippling around."

Vyse looked around. "Well... I guess all we have to do is wait. Fina, do you know how long it might take to get through the Dark Rift?" He turned to the timid Silvite.

"Um... no," She denied. "Frankly a Silvite vessel could make the trip in two days, but your technology is epochs below mine... it might even be weeks. Do we have enough supplies?"

"We're good for food," Doc said. "When we stayed overnight in Esperanza I made sure to buy a lot of foodstuffs, because the ship's holds were looking a little breezy. We can sustain ourselves for over a month with current provisions, although I can't speak to our fuel supply."

"Five days," Lawrence said. "We can keep at it for five days... it might not be enough. The fuel gage is approximately half-empty already. Esperanza had very little engines-grade moonstone available, because most people weren't bothering to maintain their boats."

"Hm... that'll be a problem. Don't worry too much, though, we'll figure something out." _We better, or we'll end up as just another tale the Esperanzans use to frighten the few children unlucky enough to live there_.

"We'd better prepare for a long journey, then." Aika sighed. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters." With that, she promptly turned and left, soon followed by David and Doc, who each had matters to attend to. Pinata went off to a space alloted him in one of the cargo bays which he lovingly called his 'workshop', where he used a toolbox from Engineering to build various gadgets and technology, some of which actually worked.

The ship still uncomfortably rocked and rattled, and Enrique was looking more miserable each second of the journey. Whenever he was queried about his condition, however, he attempted a brave face, but eventually retreated to his room, only to emerge for frequent bathroom visits, and almost stopped taking meals altogether. The rest of the crew reacted differently as well to the totally new conditions, and for the first day everyone wondered to themselves weither the ship could even survive long enough for them to reach calmer winds.

Fina didn't allow it to show, but each hour she got more nervous, the tight confines of the _Delphinus_' metal walls never more apparent than then, even as the ship tumbled. _I have to be strong_, she told herself repeatedly, sitting on one of the stairways leading to the next level up, deep within the insides of the battleship. _For Vyse, Aika, Enrique... for everyone, they're all counting on me to hold up. I have to be brave_.

He was looking for her, and relief flooded his countenance as his eyes fell upon the beautiful girl who had quickly captured his affections. "Fina," He said, and she looked up to him, fear flashing in her eyes for a moment before she set her face in determination. "Hey."

"Vyse," She said, looking over as he sat down beside her on the cold metal step. "What is it?"

"I know you're scared," The teenager sighed. "Everyone is. You just gotta keep it together and have faith, alright? We'll make it through this, everyone, together. I promise you I won't let this place do any harm to you while I still breathe. Alright?" He put a hand on her shoulder.

Fina nodded, more emotions overcoming her, and she leaned upon him. He accepted this, putting an arm around her. The teenagers sat in silence like that for an unknown time, listening only to each other's heartbeat and the deep billow of wind outside the secured windows.

"Hey, Vyse, we're-" Luke paused as he saw both of them. "-Oh. Bad time?"

"It's alright," Vyse replied, eyes half-lidded. "What's up, Luke?"

"Dinner's up," The red-garbed teenager replied, looking at his long-time friend and smiling. "Polly said she made something extra special for today... but she looks a little apprehensive, even thoughtful. Well, I guess everyone's got something on their minds right now..." His eyes flickered over to Fina, who met his gaze calmly. "Coming?"

They both nodded, standing up and following him back up the steps, and through a winding pathway of hallways that seemed a baffling maze, but they had it all but memorized by now and had no trouble getting to the enormous Mess Hall of the _Delphinus_. Emerging on the upper level, Vyse reflected how the room, like the entire ship, was heavily dimmed, with only emergency lights providing indirect illumination on some of the paintings and near the tables to save power. The chandelier on the ceiling, which, only hours ago, had burned brightly with over forty candles, was being taken down by Khazim and his men, as the boat rocked enough to put it in a danger of falling.

"C'mon, men! One, two, one two! Work that wench like a ho! Work that ho like a wrench! Breathe, and press!" The muscle-bound gunner looked over at his Captain's approach and grinned. "_Buenas Tardes, el Capitan_. Just keepin' the boys in shape so if there are any Valuans on the other side of the Rift we can clobber 'em like we did that Gregorio fool." He was seemingly one of the less-affected members of the crew, still as boisterous and continually anti-Valuan and pro-firepower as humanly possible.

"Hey, Khazim," Vyse replied with a smirk. He went up to the kitchen counter and looked the chef over. Polly indeed looked as if in repose, and he had to gently tap the wooden top before she noticed him.

"Oh... hey, Vyse. I'll get your plates up right away..." She turned, withdrawing into the catacombs of the ship's kitchen area to construct meals for her comrades, her mind still completely elsewhere as she did the fairly monotonous task, and brought the food out, setting them onto the counter. "Enjoy."

"Thanks," Luke nodded. Turning around after getting his own plates, his eyes swept the table, landing on one of the four which was heavily populated, the crew seeming to cluster around each other more than usual in the darker setting. He sat down to the left of Osman, another of the calmer and more in-control members of the crew (although Aika had voiced the opinion that it was because she had no emotions to throw off-kilter in the first place). "Hello, comrades," He announced, receiving various greetings in reply.

Aika looked over at Vyse, who sat down to the left of him, as Fina took a seat directly across from them at the table. She smiled and said, "How're you both holding up?" Cupil chirped noncommittally in reply. "Oh, and looks like Vyse still exists, too."

Vyse registered a suggestion about what he would like to do to Aika with Cupil's blade-form, which caused her to twinge as images appeared, and Fina gasped in awe at the sheer profanity dripping from the teenage island-dweller's remarks. Belle, able to ignore it more because she was also an air pirate, albeit a young and innocent one, smiled. "We're all doing pretty well. Captain, how much longer will it take to get through here? The batteries have all been secured because the cannon nozzles are open to the high winds, and we got nothin' to do."

The captain shrugged. "I honestly couldn't tell you. All I know is that it's going to take a big damn long while... but you probably already guessed that." And with that denial of information, the conversation turned to any topic which could possibly alleviate their boredom and need for socialization as they attacked their food with zeal.

They took the opportunity to get more acquainted with each other. Osman told about her childhood, noting with pride the youthful scams that stole the allowance _rhira_ from the other kids on the block, and how even at such a young age she accumulated a financial pedigree that intimidated and awed people. Most of the crew were less impressed by this than she was, but out of politeness they all listened close, especially as she casually mentioned all the miraculous financial finds and successes she could list over her many years.

"You're a pretty lucky person," Aika giggled. "Hey, Doc, it's your turn. Why don't you tell us some more about Maria? For your kid, your hair is certainly different, and she's a lot more pale than you are." Everyone had similar questions running through them, and turned to their doctor.

"Huh?" He scratched his head. "My... kid?" Doc chuckled. "No, I'm sorry to say it, but I'm still quite a single man. Maria's an orphan that I've been raising for a while..." The white-coated man paused, looking up in thought. "Since... since the incident."

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, Doc," Vyse quickly assured him, in case it was a sensitive topic for the medical professional.

"Naw... I figure I should tell you it. It's the same reason she's such a mute and timid little girl.. Maria was about five at the time. She was, actually, one of the two daughters of former Valuan Admiral Mendosa. I was Mendosa's personal doctor and a trusted advisor..." He smiled at their faces. "Yes, I once was a proud member of the Armada. Anyway, the ship, the _Pegasus_, had been having mechanical troubles, but Mendosa assured the men everything would be fine. He was proven... somewhat wrong. Something exploded, and..."

Doc took a moment to compose himself as traumatic memories began to resurface. Silence pervaded the Mess Hall as those from other tables turned towards him to listen to his story. "It was simply chaos. The whole ship was aflame... people dieing left, and right... I was too late to save the Admiral, but I managed to grab Maria and make my way to the lifeboat dock." He sighed, closing his eyes and looking more his age than he had in a while. "We got off the ship, and survived, but most others I assumed lost, including the Admiral and his other daughter, the older girl named... Piastol..."

Vyse blinked. "Woah, Doc, did you say Mendosa's second daughter was named... Piastol?" _Oh boy, I have some news for him._

"That's right." Doc nodded. "She hadn't left yet according to survivors, which means she probably perished in the flames of the ship, or when it eventually capsized..." He looked away. "I wish I could have saved her, too, but the past is the past, and I'm grateful enough that Maria lives on in their memory."

"... Doc, I think you should know something," Aika said, along the same train of thought as Vyse had, and the teenagers made eye contact for a split-second. Her memory of the Blue Storm's rescue mission to the _Pegasus_ was still vivid in her mind, including the little girl who attacked her with a knife but ended up giving Vyse his distinctive scar that no Green Magic could totally cure. Suddenly, several pieces clicked into place. _That's why she wants Vyse and us all dead... she thinks that we were the ones who attacked the _Pegasus_! That girl was... the Angel of Death... oh, Moons._

"Vyse!" David's voice appeared from the talking-tube, interjecting the critical moment before the information was to be revealed to Doc. "Vyse," He repeated. "This is David, from the Bridge. Lawrence has spotted a different wind-pattern up ahead, and we think it's one of the calm pockets. We should get the crew to their stations, if the winds are safe enough we'll be able to open the windows and have a look around."

He looked back to Doc, then turned and replied to the tube, "Alright, thanks David, we'll be right up." He stood up, a little relieved that he didn't have to be the one to tell Doc right now. "We'll talk more later," He promised the bewildered medic. "For now, you should go check out Enrique again and see if he's well enough to move." The ship jolted particularly hard, and he struggled with his footing for a moment. "My guess is 'no'. Anyway, everyone, let's move!"

"Aye aye," The crew replied, springing up and into action. Polly, surprisingly, abandoned her post at the kitchen in order to follow Vyse to the bridge. He did not object to this, but did wonder about her strange behavior of late.

Even as they reached the command deck of the ship, the rocking slowly began to scale down, as the bombardment of the ship's perturbed steel sides began to lessen. Passing through another tunnel-system of swirling wind channels, the _Delphinus_ slowly emerged into a gigantic spherical environment where the air was almost still. They were in a calm pocket.

Fina sighed. "Thank the Moons," She said, putting a hand to her heart as a chattering Cupil echoed her sentiment. She had grown rather tired of the shaking and groaning of the ship, as well as the worries of it's strength under such enormous air blasts.

"I think it's safe enough," Lawrence noted seriously. "Alright, I'm going to shut down the lockdown mode, at least until we continue on through the rift." He pulled down a red lever to one side of the controls, and the ship shuddered again, the whining of mechanical gears and motors tuning into action. The steel curtains withdrew from the view panels and doors, and everyone gasped at the scene laid out before them.

It was an alien world. Landmasses, large moss-covered islands, floated in the middle of the hermetic calm bubble. Pulsating rock-like entities that were obviously alive affixed to the side of the mossy islands, as did long tendril-plants that gently swayed in the light breeze. "Amazing..." Vyse breathed. "This is why I love sailing and exploring... you always get to see new stuff that nobody's ever laid eyes on before..." He peered closer at some of the 'rocks' on the islands and found them to be the shipwrecked remains of a great many wooden and metal ships, scattered across the sky and ground. _They all probably got sucked in this far, and their crew crashed on the surface, glad for any calm in this gigantic storm_.

"Here lies generations of explorers, as well as a smattering of every culture," David said. "The Rift discriminates against nobody- many ships were lost throughout recorded history to it's will, and this must be one of the accumulating ship graveyards."

"Shipwrecks..." Polly touched the glass of the view screen, then turned to Vyse. "Vyse... do you think anyone could be still alive down there in one of those ships?"

Vyse blinked, unprepared for the question. "Well, I suppose, there are schools of air fish floating around, and this place is certainly peaceful enough to support life... it's possible, yeah." He suddenly remembered the cook's main reason for joining his quest in the first place. "Polly, do you think that one of these wrecks might contain... Robinson? Your husband?"

"I don't know, but I want to find out," She said. "I need to know. Please, Vyse."

"We can salvage supplies and fuel from these ships, too," David nodded. "It could be a valuable source, and give us enough moonstones to rough out the journey. I recommend we assemble a few teams and send them down in the skiffs while the ship anchors to one of the floating island clusters." He crossed his arms sagely.

"Alright, let's go to it," Vyse assented. "There might be monsters in the wreckage, or survivors might be hostile, so each team will need an escort of a fighter. I'll take Polly and David, Lawrence, take Belle and her gunners, Aika, escort Doc, Marco, and Pinata, Fina, you and Luke go with Osman and help her search for items. Rodgers, you go with Khazim and his team. Alright, that's five teams, so we can all take the metal lifeboats. Everyone, get your people and assemble in the hangar, ASAP."

0-0

The chosen crews had all boarded their ships, and Vyse was the last one in, leaping over the side of the motorized tub and turning towards the open launch hatch. Each team had been issued hand-held radios and were going fully armed into the wrecks to explore and salvage, and Vyse had advised them to call in the slightest sign of trouble. "In such an alien environment, anything could turn into a bad situation," David advised next to him. "Alright, everyone, move out."

The drone of five engines rushing to life and beginning to spin the propellers mounted on their backs filled the metal chamber, echoing outwards. The running-lights that had been fixed to the bottom of each ship flickered to life under the influence of a yellow moonstone fragment, enough power for the floodlights to send out impressive beams to vanquish the twilight of the Rift's calm pocket. Vyse nodded to each of the air pirates as they exchanged glances.

Their own ship picked itself up, Vyse taking his place at the wheel and guiding the thing forward with the throttle. They soon cleared the hangar, into the open and murky air. Schools of odd, mutated fish swam by the lifeboats as they broke off and each soared away from the stationary form of the mighty _Delphinus_.

He took the initiative, pointing their boat towards a crashed ship that looked remarkably in-tact, with one side bent and shattered but mounds of dust and dirt not yet accumulating on it's wooden paneling. Tatters of red clinging to the toppled masts of the craft told him it was both a sailboat and it's sails were at some point red before the Rift's merciless winds literally ripped them free of their ropes.

The ship settled into the dirty muck next to the hull, and Vyse leapt out, cutlasses drawn. "Polly, stay with the ship. Me and David will check things out." David pulled out a pistol, cocking the hammer as it's barrel glowed a translucent red color. The chef nodding, having a seat on one of the metal benches on the inside of the longboat.

Vyse climbed up the hull of the ship, finding the pilothouse in perfect conditions. He blinked, examining the controls, which bore the signs of recent use. _There are survivors_! "David, maybe we should introduce ourselves." His Vice Captain assented, and they broadcasted their greetings below the deck of the ship. "Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?" Receiving no reply, they quickly gave it up.

"Maybe they're out scavenging as well?" David suggested. "Although this ship looks airworthy, it'll never make it through the Rift. Hell, I'm not sure if our own craft can bear the entire crossing."

"If so, we should call in the other boats, and they could help us look. If the survivors are on foot, they won't make it past the island, which'll let us-" Vyse's musing was cut off by a burst of static on his radio, that made him pull out the small black box. "What the Moons?"

_"Piastol,"_ Aika fairly spat. _"Persistent, aren't ya? Even followed us into the Dark Rift."_ David and Vyse's eyes met in alarm and they sprinted back to the boat, turning up the radio's volume and listening in to the rest of the conversation.

"Unfortunately, this detour was not of my design, redheaded one," Piastol replied, looking up from the slaughtered form of the Zivilyn Bane. "This fool refused to surrender his food and supplies. He paid the price of standing in my way. You and your friends will, too, and when I'm done with you all I'm going to find Vyse. He can't be far. I'm going to kill him, slowly."

Marco took a step back. "Woah. The crazy girls are about to fight it out. We should take cover."

Doc crossed his arms and stared down the feared bounty hunter. "Listen, you. I've never met you before, but I'm not gonna let you kill anyone while I'm around, especially not my friends."

Aika turned to him. "Doc! There's something you should know! She's _the_ Piastol! The one from the _Pegasus_!" Such an exclamation carried absolutely no value for subtlety or drama, but it certainly had an effect on both the mercenary and the doctor.

"... What?" It took his brain a few cycles to process. "Wait, no, it can't be... You're _Piastol_? Piastol Mendosa?" The name was uncommon, but the connection between a presumed missing little girl from his past and the most feared pirate hunter in the skies of Arcadia had never once occurred to him.

"Hrmph. Since you seem to know me so well, you'll also know that my home, my parents were attacked by... air pirates. By her." She spat on the ground before Aika before continuing. "I'm going to wipe them out... it's been my goal... my quest... my only passion for so long." She was so different, and the chilling look her eyes sent his made him nearly shiver. However, there was some trace of familiarity, a similar element about her fiery single-mindedness, her voice, which although warped by puberty and emotional trauma was still that of the older Mendosa girl. "Get in my way and I'll kill you too."

"Piastol... don't you remember?" The man asked. "It's me, Doc... it's been so long... what has happened to you?" He looked over. "The Blue Rogues never attacked our ship, but came to the rescue of the crew when they saw it aflame..." He knew the real reason for the explosion in the first place, which was neither attack nor engine failure, but he did not reveal that to anyone.

"W-wha..." Memories, dim memories of a happy time before the fire burned down her home to Deep Sky, surfaced in the killer's mind. A man, who did look much like him, taking care of her and her sister. _My sister... _Other deep instincts began to kick in, and she recoiled as if burned. "Lies," She spat. "You're... just trying to trick me... Doc died aboard the _Pegasus_! How dare you try and fool the Angel of Death!" Rancorous intent flashed in her cold eyes.

"Doc, get back!" Aika drew her boomerang, stepping forward and preparing for battle, eternally glad she had quietly fingered her radio to transmission hooked to her belt without alerting the mercenary. Vyse and the others were likely en route, but until then she had to protect everyone. The white-coated man obeyed, still in shell shock, and backed up several paces with the two boys.

Piastol lunged for her with her long silver scythe, and by a split-second reaction missed beheading her target, the pirate girl ducking and bringing up her large weapon for a counter-attack. With speed incalculable, she withdrew before the blow could land, preparing for another attack and twirling the longer weapon. _Shit_, she cursed, barely deflecting or lunging out of the path of several more lethal hits, once feeling the numbing chill of Silver Magic strike her arm and making it twitch badly. _If she hits me enough, it's over... she's stronger than I am, and she knows it..._

Trying once again to strike her, her unwieldy hit again only touched air. Letting go at the precise moment, the weapon's momentum sent it perfectly spinning into the air, right for where Piastol had just landed. The distraction in place, she knelt, quickly chanting in her mind a Quicka spell. Adrenaline shot through every pore in her body as time itself folded to increase her speed, the magic giving her a much-needed equalizer. The countered boomerang soared back towards her, and she easily caught it, bringing it up and taking the initiative with a brave charge.

A flash of red caught her eye. A Death Hound, emerging from it's concealment, had sent a Pyri fireball directly for the defenseless kids and the medic, who could only watch in horror for what seemed to her enhanced senses an eternity as the flare drew closer through the stale air.

The decision was instant. Twisting her torso, she tossed the boomerang, the enchanted weapon striking the fireball and causing it to explode harmlessly. The force of the Red Magic spell, however, sent it into a wooden wall, where it lodged itself there. Piastol grinned as she stopped her charge, stepping forward.

"Piastol, stop," Doc demanded, speaking up again. "Look at what you're doing! Please, just... stop fighting... can't we talk about this at all?" Marco and Pinata both looked fearfully towards the bounty hunter. Aika backed up a step, putting up her fists in an unarmed fighting stance even as her mind raced with nervousness.

She paused for a moment. "No... I have to kill all of you..." She raised her weapon again, but suddenly all of her senses went off at once and she leapt into the air, just in time to avoid the small explosion that bloomed under her feet. Through the newly-shattered window appeared the steel lifeboat. David was leaning over the side, his smoking gun the obvious source of the attack. Vyse was next to him, and he locked eyes with Piastol.

Aika grinned in relief. "Vyse!" _Nice timing_. The pirate stepped up and leapt over to the roof of the crashed ruin they were standing in, falling through a large hole and landing with blades up besides Doc. "You're late."

"Better late than never," He replied quietly. A fiery determination filled his countenance. He looked over at Doc. "I guess someone already told you about this, Doc... she's already tried to kill us twice. She's under the delusion we tried to burn her ship instead of launching rescue parties."

Doc nodded. "She thinks... she thinks I'm dead... Vyse, please, if you can, don't kill her."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll give it my best shot." _Way to worry about the right person, Doc. I'm not sure I can manage to not get myself killed in this shit_. "Piastol, you know we can kick your ass seven ways from the lunar cycle, so why bother? If you lower your weapons and agree to hear us out, what could possibly happen that's bad?"

"_Shut up_," She roared, running right for him. Vyse sighed. _Here we go again..._ their blades sparked as they met, the combatants putting all of their might into their weaponry. Neither noticed the appearance of the other boats until Fina and Lawrence appeared in the doorway, weapons drawn. "It doesn't matter how many people you bring against me, Blue Rogue! I will never stop... until one of us... is DEAD!"

Doc and the kids retreated, joining David in the doorway. Lawrence joined Vyse, the two bladed men going on the attack. Piastol expertly parried each of their blows with her longer weapon, leaping back with a speed superior to either of them. Cupil morphed into a throwing-star, rocketing through the air, but he was also stopped, flying back from the force of impact with the scythe and twittering angrily.

Aika had retrieved her boomerang and prepared to come her her friends' aid when the Death Hound leapt out, putting itself bodily between the combat and the redhead. She glared at it, and the green spiky creature began another spell. Fina ran to her side and began to chant with her, engaging the beast in a magical battle. Bolts of lightning, jets of water and fireballs clashed in midair and rocketed off-target, slamming into the walls.

Piastol would not be deterred, focusing first on Lawrence. She found a slight opening in his defense, and cut him. The scythe's magical blade ripped through his flesh with a meaty feel, the side of his torso flooded with powerful Silver Magics as he made a choking and gasping noise at the same time.

Twisting to the side, the pilot fell to the floor, his red sword clattering onto the wooden deck a moment later. He weakly clutched his side, shivering helplessly as the mystical force in his veins began to paralyze him and dull his very mind. Vyse rushed in, repelling her and forcing her back with an angry set of blows that increased in speed and power each time, stunning both himself and the Angel of Death.

"I won't let you kill anyone," He yelled at her, determination blazing that even dwarfed her own intent to murder. His blades began to glow, and each hit produced an explosion which tarnished the sturdy metal pole of her scythe.

David had managed to reload his unwieldy firearm, raising it and choosing a target. Aiming for Piastol, he fired, the smoke blinding him for a moment before it dissipated enough to see it blast he wall behind her. "Damnit!" The explosion knocked superheated chunks of wood splinter outwards like shrapnel, and Piastol caught one of the bits of debris in her back, crying out in surprise and pain. "Yes! Damn, I'm good!"

Before Vyse could react, she rolled to the side, leaving a Valuan grenade in her place. It blew outwards with more force than David's bullet, knocking him back into Aika, whose Delta Shield faltered. The Death Hound began another spell, but Fina was ready for it this time and countered with her unique traits.

"Moons, Give Me Strength," She breathed. _I will shatter this evil beast's ethereal line, and stop it from hurting anyone_... she already saw it's binding life-force as a string glowing above the Death Hound's head, and reached out with her mind, ripping apart the seemingly weak strand. The effect of the Eterni spell was instant- the now dead creature twitched once then fell over with a heavy thump against the wooden deck. It had no chance at all to defend itself against such an attack on the spiritual level, and the silver light dissipated from the room.

A flash of black in her peripheral was not enough warning, and Piastol's kick sent her down, hard. "You're weak," She spat at them, a maniacal gleam in her cold eye, "You're all weak! Today is the day that you will all-"

"Kick your fucking ass," Luke continued, charging into the room with a valiant battle-cry and attacking with no further preamble. His initial light swing caught her nearly off-guard, yielding a splash of blood from her arm that made her suck in air, but before he could swing around and behead her, she slid out of the way, like water. Their weapons met, sparking light, and she followed up by delivering a simple punch to his jaw. Luke, like Lawrence, crumpled up and fell, his nose broken by the fist of the Angel.

Vyse, who struggled back to his feet, watched in horror as his friend from childhood on Pirate Island fell to her fist. For a moment, silence fell upon the combatants, then it was split by a noise. Aika scarcely believed such a noise could be made by human lungs, but the bellow that Vyse loosed was one that even struck dumb Piastol, as the sheer willpower of the Blue Rogue kicked up a whirlwind of air around him. His glowing blades went skywards, where the roof of the sailboat shattered and split to allow an enormous bolt of lightning to connect to it, sending waves of unbridled energy across his aspect.

"Behold," His voice echoed outwards with a righteous fury, and he ran towards her, literally tossing the lightning, which traced a line before him in the ground and melted a smoking hole in the wood. The bolt hit Piastol, and the electricity stunned her still, rendering her incapable of dodging the oncoming super-attack.

_For the fallen, and those yet to fall..._ "Pirate's Wrath!" He swept his blades into the crossed-arms configuration of a flag, the curved shapes of the energy shooting outwards with a tremendous roar that upturned the wooden planks in it's path. The full force of his anger struck her dead-on, and she cried out, it filling every fiber of her being. Vyse arrived a moment later, leaping into the air and bringing down both swords. This final attack contained even more power, and poured into the entire room with blinding light, heat, and noise that made everyone shrink back.

Doc opened his eyes first, and as contrast and definition returned to his world as the light died down, he saw Vyse kneeling next to the prone form of Piastol, covered in her blood. Gasping, the medic ran into the scorched and pockmarked site of battle, beginning to cast Sacrum spells and filling his mind with Green Magic. Following his lead, Fina and Aika began to heal Luke and Lawrence, and David brought the kids outside into one of the waiting boats to be attended by Polly.

Piastol clung tenaciously to life, coughing up pools of her own blood, her body completely broken by the teenager's ultimate move. Her eyelids flickered open as she felt the unexpected relief of Green Magic, and saw Doc's concerned face, back lit in emerald green light from his arms as he laid hands on her. "... Doc... Doc..."

"Shhh," He shushed her in concern, examine her wounds and sending another healing spell as the last one began to fade away, his mana channels alight with power fueled by his intense emotions. "Please, just save your strength and hold on, Piastol."

"You... you can't... be..." She never finished her thought, slumping over and into a fitful slumber as the most critical of her wounds were stabilized by the doctor. When her heart beat steady, he looked up to check on the others. Aika had just located Lawrence's pulse, to her great relief, and Luke was suffering from naught but a broken ego after Fina's magical aptitude fixed his destroyed nose and revived him to consciousness.

Outside, Pinata looked up at Polly with wide eyes, his mind imprinted with the violent images he had witnessed through the crew's battle with the bounty huntress. "Polly... what's happening?"

The cook shook her head. "I'll explain it later... let me take you two up to the ship now." Polly climbed into the nearby landed lifeboat, and motioned for them to follow. The two kids did, both of them soberly silent on the short trip back up to the waiting _Delphinus_. Even though she had little practical sailing experience, the controls were intuitive and she had no difficulty bringing them in for a landing in the open lifeboat hangar bay.

Vyse gasped, trying to stand up and almost making it. David ran up to support him, and with one arm over the mysterious man's back, got to his feet. "David..." He coughed. "I stopped her, right?"

"Oh, that you did," The Vice Captain nodded. "Don't worry about the supplies aboard the wrecks. I'll take care of it with the others. You, Lawrence and... she should all get rest." He looked over as Aika cast some Green Magic on herself just in case, to prevent any negative side-effects from Piastol's minor Silver Magic attacks on her body system. "I'll help you out into the boat... ugh..." Moving with the burden, which was surprisingly more heavy than he had figured Vyse for, he gladly deposited him gently on the metal deck of the small ship. David looked up as the last lifeboat appeared in the sky.

"Looks like we're a bit late," Rodger said, then caught sight of Vyse and gasped. "... by the Moons! What happened here?"

"Long story," He morosely answered, helping Aika and Fina carry Lawrence out and put him in the lifeboat next to Vyse. Next, they all collected the still unconscious Piastol, feeling Doc's numb gaze upon them as they placed her last in the pile of passed-out combatants. "Doc, come on! If there was ever a time you were needed, it would be now..."

0-0

Vyse, the least-injured, having passed out mainly from complete physical exhaustion, was the first to awaken, about seven hours later. David and Enrique were waiting for him to gain consciousness, and he thought about how Fina must have felt in this same position so many months ago, the only difference seeing both of their faces with a relief to him. The prince of Valua smiled wryly at him. "You certainly know how to turn a salvage mission into something more interesting, Vyse."

"Aika should get credit for the discovery," He replied, his throat slightly groggy as he groaned and sat up. He saw Lawrence recovering in a bed to one side of him in the ship's medical wing, and to his other side Piastol was under a blanket, also not awake yet. Khazim stood watch over her, and had literally wheeled a large traditional black cannon into the room, the artillery piece pointed at the bed and, he assumed, fully loaded to fire. "... What's he doing with a cannon in the medical bay?"

"Wouldn't you want a cannon if she comes after you?" David chuckled. "Hell, even your... 'Pirate's Wrath' took her out, barely. Even without Doc's healing, her natural immune system is... miraculous. It's like she's made of Riselem crystal. Certainly cold enough..."

"We finished the salvage, and recovered many materials and fuel-grade moonstones," Enrique continued, smiling. "I'm recovering well from my sickness... Doc opines that both the lack of rocking of the ground and also my immunity finally beginning to build is helping. Certainly took me long enough to adapt, ugh..."

Vyse grinned. "Hm..." He looked over, and to his surprise, saw Maria, standing next to her bird, which had grown to about the same size that she was. Her large and timid eyes stared into his own swashbuckling orbs, and for a second neither said anything.

An event then happened, something so shocking that Doc, overhearing it from the other room, loudly dropped a box of medical instruments onto the metal ground. She spoke. "Vyse..." She said, her voice that of the usual small little girl, "... Thank you..." Maria looked down, leaving them all stunned, before she ran out of the room, her bird hot on her heels.

"By the Moons," Doc swore, flying into the room almost as if on a Quicka spell himself. "Did she just... did Maria..." He paused. "Hang on, I'll be right back." Moments later, he returned, gasping. "Wow... she just talked! Guys, this is huge!"

"How long has she been mute?" Khazim asked, the gunner having astutely followed recent events.

"Ever since... that fire, seven years ago," Doc replied, "She never learned to talk, I didn't think... but here she is... Vyse..." He looked down. "So much has happened today... I find Piastol, she tries to kill you all, you almost end up killing her, and Maria speaks for the first time in her life... I just..." Doc shook his head. "Wow." He paused, looking up again with a thin smile. "Well, Vyse, guess I was right. You are trouble. But you're the good kind of trouble."

"Thanks," The pirate captain said warmly. "I hope we can get things sorted out..." A clamor from the side arose, and they looked over, to find Piastol, clad only in a surgical gown, suddenly and without warning leap out of her bed and reach a medical cabinet, drawing a seemingly large surgical knife and brandishing it. Vyse sighed in consternation.

"Hold it," Barked the recovering bounty hunter, a mix of fear and bewilderment adorning her beautiful face. "Everyone, just..."

"Put the knife down," Doc said. To everyone's surprise, she did drop the knife, and it clattered to the metal deck of the airship as she backed up into the cabinet. "Piastol... please... just stop fighting all of us. I'm Doc, and that was Maria, your sister... why can't you accept that?"

She had no answer for him, but slowly returned to her bed, sitting down and coughing again. _Everything I had believed these long years... lies? Fabrications? Mere tricks of my own vagrant mind... I wonder. I..._ She laid back down, turning over away from everyone and falling completely silent. _Oh, Moons, what if he's telling the... truth? Maria... Doc... Vyse... I don't know what to think anymore..._

The brunet stood up, clad in a fresh set of clothing, and stretched. "Yeesh," He groaned. "At least now, you've stopped actively attacking..." He looked over at David. "Are we ready to get moving?"

"Yeah," The Vice Captain nodded. "I wanted to wait for you to wake up before we proceeded out of the pocket. Until Lawrence wakes up, it looks like you're back in command of the helm of the ship, Vyse. Of course, that'll mainly involve keeping the wheel fairly still while we fight through more wind than imaginable..." He nodded to Piastol. "Let's leave her alone for a while to think. It looks like she needs it." With that, the three exited the medical bay with the Nasrian gunner in toe, leaving Doc and Piastol.

"... Suppose I accept what you're saying..." Piastol attempted to retain her frozen demeanor, but emotions crept into her voice as little doubt remained in her mind that Doc was telling the truth. She gasped in, and, completely overwhelmed, her eyes did something they hadn't in several years. They yielded water... tears. Salty tears, which ran down her head, as she sobbed in emotional agony. "Oh, Doc... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." The doctor ran over, comforting her in a fatherly manner as she poured out the confessions of her splintered and damaged soul.

"It'll be alright," He assured her, looking up as the ship began to rumble, signaling it's engines were powering up and they were about to continue their perilous journey. "It's ok now, Piastol..."

On the bridge, Vyse spun the wheel, watching the _Delphinus_ respond eagerly to his command. To one side were Enrique and David, the other Aika and Fina, all watching him reacquaint himself with the ship's helm controls. When he was comfortable with the ship, he brought them away from their anchorage, steering towards the other side of the bubble of calm, towards the tunnel-like portal which would take them back into the winds and deploying the ship's lockdown armor.

"Well," David said with a wry smirk. "Should be smooth sailing from now on." _Can't get any worse._


	3. Through the Rift

Chapter Three- Through The Rift

The _Delphinus_ represented the razor-sharp edge of human technological development, and it's armor frame was specifically designed to withstand the rippling, windy assaults of sky rifts. However, plan, fact, and the most dangerous storm ever formed in the skies of Arcadia were wildly different things, and as the ship creaked and groaned yet again from sheer air pressure and wind buffeting, Enrique began to wonder about the strength of his ship even as his stomach churned.

_I guess immunity builds slow_, He thought miserably, hunched over in his personal suite and again keeping himself in intentional isolation as his flagship made it's way through the Rift proper, seeking the safe harbor of another calm pocket such as they had discovered last time. Fully secured in it's armored shell, the ship gave a new sense of claustrophobia to all of it's crew. Even though it's propellers were spinning at well over 100,000 RPM and their engines pushing to their maximum limit for the entire trip, they nearly crawled along through the natural tunnels of wind.

They had gotten underway almost ten hours ago. Vyse was all alone with his thoughts in the dimly-lit command deck, strong arms staying the buckling helm controls and keeping the airship in more or less of a straight line through the labyrinthine currents of the Dark Rift. The steady drone of the impossibly fast winds outside had long since imprinted themselves onto his mind, and he ignored them completely, perceiving a pseudo-silence._ Dad... I wonder what you'd think if someone told you that I'd be the first man to cross the Dark Rift... in a Valuan ship... with the Prince of Valua, a Silvite, the Angel of Death, and a member of Gilder's crew aboard_...

The door to the bridge creaked open, and Doc's voice echoed in. "Hey, Vyse." The white-coated medic stepped in, closing the hatch behind him. He felt a little anxiety, which was only to be expected in such a journey, but another reason also clouded his mind.

"Doc," Vyse nodded to him, even though he likely couldn't see it through the back lighting. "Everything's looking fairly good up here... even that groaning is getting a little old. I've got Aika and Fina putting Sacri spells into the hull to keep it propped up, in case... how's everything down there?"

"I wanted to thank you, Vyse, for getting us enough moonfish to last us... even now Maria's bird is just finishing the last of them, so when we get out of the Rift we'll need to start hunting the things again... the Hamachou is the thing, I think, that most connects her to this world... and I think it's having a good effect on her. Maybe she'll continue emerging from her shell. I can only hope..."

"How are... the patients?" His phrase was loaded with many meanings, as both men knew well as they listened to another of the sickening metallic groans which shook the deck beneath their feet.

Lawrence is still asleep, but... Piastol's up..." He trailed off. "She went off to find Maria. I'm going to give those two some time to get to know each other again... this is possibly the hardest shock that she's ever had. Maria won't adapt instantly, either... but I hope they can accept each other as family."

"That's got to be terrifying," Vyse sighed. "When everything you've believed in for so long, and fashioned your life around, turns out to be so wrong. Even though she tried to kill me, three times now, as well as my friends..."

"She wasn't in her right mind," Doc insisted forcefully. "She hasn't been for a long time. Vyse, she's genuinely regretful for everything she's done. Sorrowful, even."

He shook his head. "I know... it's just hard to even fathom that the Angel of Death would feel any remorse, especially about her attacks on me and the others. This is going to take a lot of getting used to..."

"No argument here. She's so... different, but I still see the old Piastol within her eyes. Humanity is one of the most resilient things in the entire world." He looked up at the ceiling as it groaned and rippled, metal bits twisting and one of the back lights shattering, as Vyse struggled against the veering wheel. "... Vyse, will you... give her a chance?"

"A chance?" The teenager echoed in mild disbelief. "Doc, she went after us for months, fully ready to kill me and the entire crew. Our pilot's in the medical bay healing now because of her. A chance?"

"Yeah... she's trying to become a new person," Said Doc, quietly and in deep thought. "It's all I can ask of you. Just another chance. Watch her as closely as you like, kill her if she tries anything... but please. She wants to help. We could use the help of someone so skilled at fighting."

Vyse offered him no reply, but summoned David to the bridge to take over control of the helm, having rotated out of his second hour-long shift since the journey began. As he walked back out of the bridge, he sent a pensive glance back at the waiting doctor, and then left.

The meeting was nothing short of strange. The tall, pale and thin teenager, with short snow-white hair and a confident stride, standing before the little blonde girl and her Hamachou bird, made Piastol feel worlds apart from her little sister. Maria stared up at her curiously. The Angel of Death cleared her throat and said, "Um... Maria? Do you know... who I am?" Maria shook her head. Although she had spoken once to Vyse, inducing words from her was still almost an exercise in futility. Almost.

"My name is Piastol..." She thought for a moment. "I'm... a new member of Vyse's crew. I met Doc a while back and wanted to come aboard to help... is that ok with you?" _A lie it might be, but I don't think I'm quite ready for this yet._ The blonde nodded this time, still staring. "Do you think that maybe I could be your... friend?"

"O-ok," She answered in a tiny voice, taken aback by the former patient's kindness. Her hand closed tighter around that of her Hamachou, still nervous in anyone's company.

Piastol smiled sadly. "Wonderful... please excuse me..." She turned and began to walk off quickly, also feeling uncomfortable. Down the hallway, resting against the railing with his arms crossed, was Vyse, smirking at her.

"You know," He spoke up. "Interesting how you made the decision to be 'on' my crew without my input. Even though the Captain is elected by the crew, he is still the authority on the ship."

She looked down. "Vyse... you can't imagine how sorry I am for... for trying to kill you. I was wrong... all this time..." Her steely voice was almost broken down as emotion seeped through it, dripping off as if an over-soaked sponge. "Please, allow me to make amends by joining your crew... and one day, I'll be able to face Maria as a worthy sister, and someone she can be proud of knowing. Doc, as well, he deserves at least as much..." The willingness to accept responsibility, as well as her determination to press forward, impressed itself on Vyse.

However, his mistrust and rage from before welled up in his mind as well, fighting a double-edged battle for supremacy. He fell silent for several moments, then finally replied, "I'm going to think about it... get everyone's opinions. If we reject you, as soon as we get out of the Dark Rift, you're taking one of our skiffs and leaving. Otherwise... then I'll let you... stay. For Maria and Doc." With that, the teenager turned on his heel, walking off abruptly. Obviously he was torn up about this, and she could see that, and was still grateful for the ray of hope he shined in her direction.

0-0

The crew had all been assembled, with the exception of Doc, who was supervising the ship's controls and keeping them as steady as he could manage. The Mess Hall's tables were clustered with the diverse group of people that had flocked to Vyse over the last month of adventure, and he looked out over them from the raised platform next to David.

"This is a big question," David said quietly to him. "I'm glad you decided to involve everyone..." He turned on his commanding voice. "Alright, listen up! I'm sure you all know by now the reason we brought everyone together... Piastol wants to join our crew and put in some amends for the seriously murderous intentions she's been tossing at Vyse for a while now. Some of you are against it, some of you are for it. All will get the chance to talk if they want, and then we'll vote on it. The majority wins, of course."

Aika stood up first. "I got something to say," She declared, walking up in front of everyone. "Guys, Piastol's been living with her demons for seven years, and all the people she's killed are gonna haunt her forever... but that's the past, and she seems like she wants to change. I say, everyone deserves a second chance, even a psychopath who tried to behead me twice and nearly broke my spine." Vyse blinked at this display of humanity from the redhead, reflecting that whatever her tough exterior might show, she was, deep down, of a kind heart. "If she's genuine."

"Yeah, could be a trick," Khazim shook his head. "She's evil, plain and simple. It's real possible she's just acting so we all drop our guards, and then she plants a bomb in the engine, steals a skiff, and _boom_. That's the end of our piracy."

David crossed his arms. "Both of them make valid points... we are Blue Rogues because of our humanity and morals, and we can never forget that, or we're just as bad as the Valuans. No offense, Enrique."

"None taken," The prince chirped from the corner, wobbly and slightly ill but not throwing up.

"... and frankly, the prospect of having Piastol on our side in a fight is enough to make me drool," He admitted. "She could be a very valuable tactical resource, and we need all the help we can get in this fight. If she's lying, then that ability which was your bane could be our undoing. It's hard to know what to do..." He bowed his head. "I say, give the girl a chance. She is just a girl, after all, Angel of Death or no."

Osman decided to offer her detached viewpoint on the issue. "Too risky. Just lop off her head. We can manage without her, but if she betrays us then my investment will have gone bad... oh, we'll be dead, too."

"Hm..." Marco was sitting on the table, to either side Belle and her gunners. "That girl's fuckin' crazy. She freaks me out... I'm glad we could take her down. I don't see why we should keep her."

Pinata's eyes were wide. "We can't just kill her, either. That's pretty barbaric, Vyse. We really ought to give her a second chance... I know most everyone in here has done bad things in their own past, but we don't bring that up here. All we need here is hope for the future and a determination for freedom, right?"

"Agreed," Enrique nodded. "Benevolence is the best policy. Granted, we should watch her closely, but I see no reason not to offer her a chance at redemption. In the end, though, it is your call, Vyse."

"... When I was little, Dad would tell me a lot of wise sayings that are pretty good to remember," The teenager said to his crew. "He told me: 'Light a candle, instead of cursing the darkness'. Really, I think we'll probably be able to handle her again if she becomes a problem, but if this pays off, we'll get an expert fighter on our side, and we get to reunite a family. Anyone else got something to say?" Nobody else wished to speak, and all held their tongue. "Alright. Take it away, David."

"All in favor of Piastol joining the _Delphinus_ full-time, raise your hands." A large slice of the crew raised their hands, including himself and Vyse, and everyone who had spoken out on her behalf in the short deliberation. "All against?" A smaller part of the crew raised their hands for this one, and a quick vote confirmed the result. "Alright, the vote's done. Vyse, we've made the decision."

The Captain nodded. "I'll go tell her myself, and welcome her aboard personally. Oh, and remind her not to try anything or we'll kill her for sure this time. Alright, everyone, I guess that's it for this meeting. Belle, get up to relieve Doc ASAP. Poor guy's probably broke his arms by now..."

0-0

The ship was equipped with two observation decks inside of the hull, basically large recreation rooms with windows to views outside. Obviously, these rooms were shuttered up tight for their voyage through the Dark Rift, but it was still a prime place for someone to sit and think things over, and Piastol waited, silent in the darkness, until she heard the sound of footfalls. Looking up, she saw Vyse entering from the lit hallway. "Vyse."

"Piastol, we've reached a decision... we're going to let you join up with us." He crossed his arms. "Put in your fair share, and you'll receive fair treatment in return, and personally I'm willing to eventually start forgiving you for all you've done. Until then, be on your best behavior. If this is a trick, you better fess up now, because the crew won't hesitate you kill you if you betray us."

She paused for several moments. "I understand. Thank you, Vyse. I'm going to serve you with all of my being, and prove myself." Piastol allowed a slightly hopeful smile to cross her beautiful face, directed towards him.

He nodded. "I don't mind telling you that knowing we have the Angel of Death on our side is going to be something of a morale booster. Galcian'll piss himself when he hears of this." With those noble impulses, he again left her alone with her thoughts, and she did not emerge from solitude for a long while.

The medical bay was actually not very far, and he remembered the route well, becoming more familiar with each passing day with the Valuan battleship. Pausing for a moment, he moved forward, pushing open the metal hatch and stepping inside the room, which was lit enough to make him wince for a second after the almost-darkness he had been bathed in.

Lawrence was the only patient in the spacious treatment center, laying on the surgical bed and barely moving but for the faint rise and fall of his thin chest. His black hair had been moved out of his mysterious face, and his expression was inscrutable. The purple pilots' tunic and pants had been traded for a set of similar aquamarine clothing, covering the large wrap of bandages around his front.

Vyse sighed, looking at him. _Lawrence, the Lone Wolf. A cold mercenary who's legendary for his skill... he's a good pilot, and one of the reasons we beat the Valuans twice with this ship. Nobody knows much about him. He's an enigma... everyone on this ship has one secret or another_. Heaving a deep sigh, he turned to leave, when a faint groaning captured his senses.

"Ow." This simple, taciturn and flat word was enough to signal to the teenager that he was in a heavy degree of pain- it took a lot to encourage any words from the helmsman. "Captain... how long was I out?"

"Oh, give it ten hours," Vyse shrugged. "Piastol really cut you open, and that Silver Magic was playing hells with your body... but Doc fixed you up just fine." The walls groaned ominously yet again. "As you can probably tell, we're already movin' again, but we haven't found another calm pocket yet. Could be days."

"I'll resume my station at the helm at once..." Before he could do more than sit up on his bed Vyse had shaken his head.

"Rest some more. We can handle keeping the ship heading along a straight-line path, I think, while you heal. You getting hungry?"

"... Yeah." Concern about his personal wellbeing was not a common thing for the mercenary to encounter in his employers, which usually tended to be shadier shades of air pirate. "Haven't eaten anything for twenty hours, now."

"I'll go get some stuff for you." He gave a warm smile to the man, who tried to shake it off but still found his charisma impossible to deny. "Polly's been acting weird, but her cooking's actually gotten better... maybe we should come this way more often." Snorting to himself at the insane prospect of coming near the Dark Rift ever again should they have the fortune to survive it, he left the medical room.

In the Mess Hall were Doc and Aika, the medic sitting on a bench but sprawled over the table and whimpering. "How do you sailors keep control of your ships?" He demanded. "Why can't the controls just lock up when the rudders get pushed by winds?"

"Then the helm controls would break from the tension," Aika explained, patting his back in sympathy. "Don't worry, Doc, you did awesome. Polly, more Loqua! Stat! Oh, hey Vyse."

"Yo," The captain said, sitting down next to them. "So, had fun, Doc?"

"Tremendous bundles of joy," The man muttered as he gratefully accepted the mind-altering moon berry juice. "I heard about your decision... Vyse, even though the crew agreed to do it, you could have overridden them and left Piastol to die, or even had her killed... I just want you to know how much it means to me. You're a great man."

Aika snorted. "I'm sorry, _Great_ man?"

Vyse frowned. "Now that we've fucked, can't you at least have some semblance of respect for the captain of your ship, Aika?" He didn't bother to see Polly nor Doc's reactions, although they were suitably surprised. Aika only grinned her usual lecherous grin.

"You know, there's nothing else to do now, and we could always invite Fina..." She snickered at the pleasant thought. Vyse actually pondered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, Aika..." He sighed.

"Awwww. Come on, she's fun. Really sensitive."

Doc made a face. "Look, kids, I might be your physician, but that's way, _way_ more info than even I need. You're gonna turn me into an Enrique clone you keep talking like that..."

"Anyway, Polly, Lawrence's getting mighty hungry just sitting around congealing. Make him an enormous meal, if you please." The newly terse cook nodded to him, retreating into the ship's spacious kitchen facilities. _Poor Polly... we haven't found any trace of Robinson yet, but there's still a whole lot of Rift left to explore... can't go out of our way, either, we're unlikely to make it as is_. He sighed, then turned to the others. "How's the crew holding up?"

"Been about three days since we've seen sunlight," Aika admitted. "Pow's acting weird, maybe it's his animal senses. Marco and Maria seem to be becoming friends, and Pinata likes hanging out with them, even though he's as smart as any of us. Probably smarter. Everyone's just kinda... nervous." She sighed. "Like I am. Fina's down in Engineering keeping the entire ship together with her magic... we're taking turns so neither of us can collapse from exhaustion. But the ship's banged up. Belle's gotten quieter, but Khazim's even more boisterous to make up for it. Luke and Rodgers have been spending a lot of time together lately, wonder if they've hooked up yet..."

"Luke and Rodgers?" Vyse echoed in disbelief, steeped in memory of the teenage air pirates who shared with Aika their heritage as children of the Blue Storm crew. "Who woulda guessed. Hm... I hope we find a calm pocket, but there's no way to tell if the current we're in goes anywhere at all... it could just taper off, and David tells me if the ship can barely stand this, we'll never survive just crossing straight through."

"I'm sure we'll find something soon," Doc said confidently from behind them, taking another sip of his Loqua drink.

0-0

"A week?"

"I believe so... the clocks are out of order, and there's no other way to tell day from night in this maze of storms, but the paper calendars, luckily, can't be affected the same way. We've been in this place for a week, been in this channel, traveling slowly forward, for almost five days." As each hour passed that the crew had little to do, their minds and bodies slowly atrophied, until David organized exercise and discussion sessions for everyone, and generally tried to keep people occupied. Boredom and hopelessness, however, began to indomitably creep into the daily affairs of the _Delphinus_. With each day continuing onwards seemed a little more futile, and the condition of the ship had started to deteriorate.

"Fina and Aika have been doing admirable jobs, and whoever else knows magic have been helping out here and there, but the ship simply was not built to ford this abomination." David looked hopeless indeed. "Add that to the fact that our fuel will be empty in two days, including the fuel salvaged from the shipwrecks... things aren't looking good."

"Gr... it can't end like this..." Vyse balled his fist, staring in angry rebellion of fate at the wall. The Vice Captain watched him with sympathy. "We have to do it, we have to... there's no other way. It all just can't... end... in here! In some dark hole in the world!"

David sighed, shaking his head. They were meeting in secret on the bridge, the two of them the only ones on the shrouded command deck, besides Lawrence, who dutifully attended the rippling helm controls. Vyse had wisely decided that informing the crew about their dire situation would only further lower sagging morale. "When are we going to tell everyone?"

"... if we don't find a pocket by tomorrow at dinner, then I'll make the announcement..." Vyse buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath. "... so everyone can prepare themselves, make their peace with the Moons and whatever religion they've decided to keep." David nodded. _A wise decision... everyone aboard is of an exceptional quality, and they deserve at least that much for coming with us on our quest_... He grunted. "I'm going for a walk."

Surely, fate would not be cruel enough to leave them to die, hopeless, in the midst of the perfect storm? Such a question was asked, with variation on the undesirable effect, by many people throughout humanity's existence on Arcadia, and Vyse pondered the very real possibility that, _yes_, it would be cruel enough. He thought of Nasrad, the city that was set aflame literally, then figuratively by a bloody battle. He thought of those thousands executed by Valua every year, those millions in Lower City who had no escape and no hope, and those who died in the mines of Moonstone Mountain in the years before the lands of Ixa'taka were given the breath of freedom.

Nobody ever truly knew what happened to those who fell beneath the clouds, only that they never returned, and thus it was a trip not worth taking for one who still clung to life, as he did. If science was right, then the heavy pressure that formed sky rifts would crush them into a tiny ball of mass on whatever surface Deep Sky might have, if it had any surface at all.

Then again, sailing had always been a dangerous, even deadly occupation, especially considering their war against the most powerful fleet in the world. Many good men died simply from chance, or because they were unready, or their ship had a single fault. There were no second chances when you sailed the great blue sky, Dyne had always told him, making specially sure to impress upon him that fact. Fate did, what fate did, and not the puny hand of humanity nor magic or technology could block it's blows.

That tiny infection of doubt which plagued his mind constantly and made his purely confident appearance outwards purely false spoke to him. _I shouldn't have come here... we can't find a way through, and I've gotten everyone killed for some girl I met half a year ago..._

Another voice, the voice of the optimism that inspired him on his journey, did not agree with this. _There's still hope. We have two more days of fuel, we still might discover a calm pocket with intact moonstones. Never give up hope, we have to keep pressing on_.

One thing both parts of his consciousness agreed upon was that not going forward would serve no purpose now, so he had no choice. He was trapped, his chances of survival slimming slightly more each passing minute. He went on a tour of the entire ship, seeing the impressive metal workmanship of Valua's finest shipwrights, the technology and effort put into making this truly the best ship in history. _The_ Delphinus_ is a good ship... it's already been good to us, amazingly good. I'm glad I got a chance to sail in such a boat_...

Piastol sat, stone silent, listening to Doc give another of his lectures to her. The medic had taken on the personal responsibility of rehabilitating her to the life of an air pirate, slowly getting her used to social interaction and making sure that she would be fully ready for her life-altering transition away from hunting the vulnerable to defending them. The door to the medical bay creaked open, and he saw Vyse's head leaning into the clean, sterile room. "Captain," She spoke up quietly.

"Hey," Vyse replied, his voice unusually subdued. His eyes tracked from a smiling Doc to an attentive Piastol, down to the patient who had checked into the medical facilities. Fina had collapsed a few hours earlier, her five remaining Auras of Valor all depleted and her mana running on less than empty, the Silvite's fatigue shutting down almost all of her body system.

"What's up?" Doc asked, forgetting for a moment his next lesson for the pale girl.

"... It's nothing." _There's still hope_. Pulling away, he walked off again, leaving the two of them to both ponder on it. Doc, having known Vyse better, concluded something was off, and blindly guessed it had to do with their continual journey through the enveloping gloom of the Dark Rift.

His next stop was the Engine Room, the site of the ship's ever-lit power plant which supplied precious electricity to all aspects of the _Delphinus_. The maze of machinery, wiring and pipes was not lit artificially, it's own radiant light filling the room, along with the glow of red and green magics. Aika's voice echoed back to him, imploring time and time again for the Moons to give her the strength to carry on and continue casting.

Two more voices joined her. They were Luke and Rodgers, both contributing their own round of magical restorative spells to the weathered and battered airship around them. They stopped after a few more moments, gasping in breaths as the magic worked it's way through the ship's massive system of metal and glass. Aika looked over, spotting Vyse walking towards her down a rampart from the overhead walkway.

"Hey," She said tiredly. The redhead had been working so long, she herself felt almost like collapsing. Vyse could obviously see she was teetering on complete breakdown, gazing at the beautiful pirate with sympathy and worry. Keeping the ship together long enough to even run out of fuel was going to require efforts on the part of all the crew to fill in for Fina's massive lost talent.

"You should rest," He implored her. "C'mon, Aika, you've been at it for hours. Your magic, and your power in general's gotta be shot to all hells. Please, go sleep for a while. I'll take over for you."

"You haven't got more than a shred of magical talent, Vyse, but it's gonna come to that," The redhead admitted, swaying but steadying herself against the nearly metal wall of the room. "It's been so long... this is bad... Vyse, when are we going to hit the next calm pocket?" The pleading look in her tired eyes almost broke the teenager's heart. The captain knew precisely how dire their situation continued to grow with each moment the engine ate more of the precious stone fuels in the chambers around it.

"I don't know," He truthfully admitted. At any moment, the bridge could announce the next calm pocket, which would allow them a reprieve to lay anchor, and if landmasses existed, likely so did enough shipwrecks to keep them going on loot until... _what, the next pocket? What if it's even farther? Is there an end to this? What if Fina's wrong, and this _is_ the edge of the world, and the Rift goes on forever and ever?_ He shook his head to banish those thoughts and turned away. _Everyone's running on empty, emotionally, but I have to keep it together. It's my duty_.

Luke sighed. "Moons Alive, how you manage this day in and day out is beyond me, Aika." He sprawled out tiredly on the floor, not caring that it was uncomfortable, cold metal. Vyse tried to summon forth from his mind his usual encouraging speeches to buff up their spirits, but no words came from his lungs, and all he did was look away again.

Finally he gathered himself up. "I'm sure we'll find something soon," He assured everyone. "We can't give up, guys... Aika, rest, that's an order. I'll do this for a while, and get other people down here. David probably knows Increm, and, if we're lucky, maybe some Green Magic too." Vyse gave Aika a loving smile that she returned, trudging over to the doors from Engineering and making her way towards her own quarters.

So the rest of the day passed, and as Vyse awoke, he was fully aware that they were on the final day of fuel. The hallways were totally unlit and all the major rooms had the dimmest possible lights to save every scrap of power, and the ship stuttered every now and then in it's motion, like it was suffering from more fatigue than any other member of the crew. Fina awoke, and resumed her post, relieving the depleted crew, but she soon began to tire again. Everyone was on their last magical legs, all replenishment supplies and skills long since passed.

Dinner that day started like any other, everyone receiving the quality cooking of Polly, and the tone of the entire Mess Hall totally subdued. Vyse finished his first plate, and stopped eating- the entire atmosphere had taken his colossal appetite cleanly away from him, and he no longer wished to consume anything. Now was the time to make the announcement.

"Hey, everyone, listen up, there's something important that the entire crew should know." Standing up, he went over to the raised platform that usually saw David as it's speaker, but today the Vice Captain joined the other shadowed figures around him, the dim outlines of everyone turning to face their pirate captain. "... intentionally, me and David have been keeping specifics of our supply situation a secret, so nobody got alarmed... but now it looks like there's little point.

The _Delphinus_ is out of fuel. Our reserve moonstones will last... maybe... five, six hours at the most. We have tossed every little stone we could possibly find to our engines, but it's just not enough." This news sent the expected effect throughout the crew, who began to mutter amongst themselves at the grim news.

"As you are all well aware, when the ship runs out of fuel, we're going to sink. Either the Dark Rift or Deep Sky will rip us apart or crush us to pulp... and we aren't going to find another calm pocket, despite our efforts... everyone... this... is it..." He looked down, feeling the water beginning to rend itself from his sad eyes. He resolved himself again, steeling a wall around his emotions. "... make peace with the Moons, or whatever god you got. When the fuel runs out, I think we should meet in the Mess Hall, unless you'd like to be alone... nobody knows how long it's going to take, but... I want to be together with all of you. You are the finest people I've ever sailed with, and I'm so happy to have known all of you..."

"This is... really it?" Marco asked hollowly. "No joke?"

"No joke," David confirmed grimly. "We thought you all deserved to know the truth..." He fell silent, not elaborating. Silence soon fell on everyone, each member of the crew lost in their own contemplations, alone in a room full of their comrades. The only one missing from the room was Lawrence, who was still at the helm but already knew all about the situation. The wall rattled again, the omnipotent winds continuing to rend at the weakening armor surfaces of the ship.

The group slowly began to disperse, but before anyone could get too far away or too lost in though, Lawrence's cold voice came over the talking tube, filling the silence with something equally as deafening. "Calm pocket ahead." Such a short and clipped report, so like him, passed over them like waves, their disbelief and wonderment suspended totally.

"..." David walked over to the talking tube. "Bridge. Confirm last report."

"Confirmed, Mess Hall. The air patterns ahead are forming a giant sphere of near-still winds, just like the last calm pocket. I thought you might want to know that." Again, silence pervaded the air, Vyse especially struck completely dumb.

They were saved.

Finally, Marco began to cheer. "Alright!" He declared, amazed their fortunes could change so quickly and profoundly. "... I don't believe it! We're gonna make it!"

Vyse began to laugh nervously. "Damn. Sometimes I think the Moons _are_ toying with us, you know. Either that or some teenage guy in the comfort of his home... nevermind that." He looked around, paused, and considered his next words carefully. "Well... um... guess this is one time I don't mind being proven wrong."

Aika chuckled. "Finally, that comes in handy." She leapt over, glomping him with an enthusiastic hug that sent him off-balance and into the wall fairly hard. "We're saved!" She saw Vyse shifting uncomfortably from the impact with the wall and sweatdropped. "Sorry, heh, just got a little carried away there..."

Even the dim lighting and former fatalistic dread was completely evaporated, each person filled with new life at the news. "Astounding," Pinata cheered, leaping up and down.

_Thank the Moons..._ Fina looked up at the high, shadowed ceiling of the Mess Hall, wiping a tear from her eye. She stepped over to Aika and Fina, and said, "Fortune finally smiles upon us... I was so worried for a time, back there..."

"Yeah," Vyse agreed, his shoulders drooping. "It was looking really shitty for a long while, there. C'mon, let's get up the bridge. If Lawrence has got it on radar we should be there in minutes..." He paused, then yelled out to the room, "Everyone, man your stations! Let's go find out how long we can keep this up, eh?"

"Aye aye," The crew replied with a newly kindled enthusiasm, going to it. Enrique approached them, smiling. "Everyone, I'm barely sick anymore, and I can eat regularly! I think I'm finally over most of my airsickness. Thusly, I would like to join you on the bridge."

"More good news?" Vyse snorted. "Congrats, Enrique. Now maybe you can help us out next time the Armada shows up." The prince reddened considerably and he chuckled good-naturedly. They followed David up to the command deck while the other members of the crew got to their own posts, which for Osman happened to be the nearest convenient window to look out of. By now, everyone had developed almost nocturnal vision like some floating monster species had, but she still would appreciate the approach of even a little dim light from the Dark Rift through the port.

David himself personally went up to the helm, examining the few controls that were not somehow malfunctioning or going completely haywire. "... Yup. That's a calm pocket... and the radar's bouncing off of large, solid objects... landmasses, I hope. Where there's land, there's gotta be shipwrecks in a place this... bad."

For the first time in about six days, the ship stopped buckling, rattling, or groaning, the roar of he winds slowly dying down around them. The absence of such movement and noises was as foreign to the crew as their start had been at the beginning of their journey. Vyse looked around and sighed. "I still can't believe how lucky we've gotten... Lawrence, take down the lockdown armor when we're completely inside the calm bubble."

The battered pieces of removable armor adorning the solid unpainted shell of the _Delphinus_ slowly began to slide up, admitting the dim beams of natural light admitted within the twilight realm of the calm bubble, and the sight outside of the ship was a welcome addition to their discoveries. Moss-covered rocks of enormous size and odd patterns did exist, sprawled out before them, with many wrecked ships, rocks, and other debris pieces and chunks strewn across their unfortunate surfaces. On the other end of the enormous bubble was another aperture of wind, all but forgotten as they all took in the new sights around them.

Vyse was the first to speak. "Wow... we're still alive... we've gotta already be making history. Nobody's ever made it as far as we have, on our own power, too... Lawrence, land us on one of the landmasses and switch off all engines." Obeying him gladly, the pilot sent the ship into a near barrel-roll before regaining control of the helm. "What the hell?!"

"Sorry," The terse man apologized. "So used to fighting the winds... I'm putting huge effort into every motion... it's going to take a while to get over, but I'll try and compensate."

Aika nodded discontentedly. "You do that. Vyse, salvage run?"

"You know it," The teenager replied. "Wonder if there's any treasure or stuff aboard... I'll settle for moonstones, though. I'd rather not be stranded in this bubble of calm for the rest of my life." The _Delphinus_, at a rough but much more rational course and speed than before, hovered over one of the larger islands and came down to rest on it, it's two maneuvering fins propping it's front up slightly compared to the long, curved nose which stood the flagship up like a third leg.

David smiled. "Alright, let's get down to business. Vyse, we've got more effectives than last time, so we should bring the _Sacres_ into this... just make sure they don't even go near the edges of the calm pocket's bubble, or they won't be returning home."

Vyse nodded. "Agreed. I'll be taking the _Sacres_ out, with Polly and Doc. Everyone else... hell, can organize their own teams, just make sure someone can fight with each group, at least one person." He turned around. "Get everyone down to the hangar, and open the launch doors. I really hope we can find some moonstones amongst the wreckage..."

0-0

The ship looked like shit, for lack of a more precise analogy. The elegant steel surfaces of the _Delphinus_ were made rough and angular, their hull plating beaten with more force than a white-hot hammer, and making the metal rather too pliable for his tastes. Several large rips tore down the side. Two of the engine propellers had simply broken off as well, and were lost, reducing their speed a bit. Vyse winced as he surveyed several other damages, such as every single running light on the ship being blown out and unusable. "The Dark Rift isn't kind on ships."

"Yeah..." Polly sighed. "I hope we find him, Vyse... at this point, even a body would be preferable to the uncertainly, the ignorance... it's been gnawing at me for a week now. I need to know." Doc put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, silently.

Vyse nodded, turning back to the controls of the sailboat. Its red sheets had been rolled back up, as without wind they were useless, and the wooden airship was moving off of rudder power alone. It was a severe waste of fuel, but they had little choice. Circling the ship for a final time, he moved off, towards one of the outlying clumps of land strewn with the destroyed remains of ships.

The ships began to look different; while traditional styles remained, a new element seemed added to the grim mix- foreign styles he had never seen before, paper-thin, with odd metals and scaly armor. _Maybe these are Yafutoman ships_, he thought, passing over one that had been ripped all the way across it's port bow. _They look really fragile, no wonder the winds shredded them_. Finding a conventional sailboat that, although it was half-buried in the dirt, otherwise fully intact, Vyse brought them in for a gentle landing.

"Be on your guard," Vyse instructed. "We don't know what other kind of wonderful surprises this place has for us..." He drew his twin cutlasses, leaping off the side and landing in the metal with the squelching of his well-used boots. Doc and Polly followed.

The wooden door leading to the ship's main cabin was just above the buried deck, and he opened it, peering in. The room was lit by a roaring, controlled bonfire burning in the center, and on the floor were strewn many supplies, including a rack of air fish put out to dry. Attending the cooking fish was a man who looked more savage than human, with long, wild hair growing everywhere and with only the tatters of whatever former clothes he had. At the opening of the door, he looked up, just as surprised to see them as they were at his appearance.

"Woah, a survivor..." Vyse blinked. "Sir, don't worry, we're not here to attack you. I'm Vyse, of the Blue Rogues, this is Polly and Doc... what's your name?"

The man pondered for a moment, and then tried to speak, his voice a groggy and straggled mess. "I... I don't remember." His eyes were firmly intelligent, but slightly hazed over as he examined the three people, the first humans he had seen in what seemed an entire lifetime.

"You don't?" Doc crossed his arms. "What's the name of your ship? Do you know where you're from?"

"No," The shipwreck replied. "I... don't know very much... it's hard to remember things. How did you get here... this place is impossible to reach, alive, unless you're wrecked too..."

"He must have amnesia," Vyse said aside to Doc, and replied, "We have a new type of ship, the fastest in the world, and we're trying to ford the Dark Rift. We're scavenging for supplies amongst the wrecks... you really don't remember your name?"

"Robinson!" The exclamation attracted the men's attention to Polly, who looked like she was seeing a ghost. "You look like a complete mess but I'd recognize those eyes anywhere! Vyse, it's my lost husband!"

"Woah," The teenager said, taken aback. "Talk about circumstance."

"... Husband?" The word was foreign to his parched mouth, but at the same time, triggered something in the back of the man's mind, something so familiar. "I'm... your husband?" The woman, he had seen her before... his mind was a fog, but he fought to cut through it, to his memories, before the crash, and before the darkness enveloped his soul. _This feeling... it's the feeling that's kept me going, these long times in the darkness, each day and night_..."

"Yes! You're Robinson, my husband!" Polly said, walking over to him and looking into his eyes pleadingly. "Please... tell me you remember. You have to remember!"

"..." He paused, looking away, and then drew in a long breath. "... Yes... yes... It's... something is coming back... it's a... I am Robinson!" He looked at her. "Robinson, and my wife... my wife..."

"Polly," She supplied, enthused by the progress already made.

"Polly," He echoed in assurance, nodding. "I'm... a sailor... who set out to cross the.. this Dark Rift! I remember now!" The light banished the encroaching blanket across his mind, and for the first time in a while, he could see with his own eyes. Sensation returned to a body long numbed and almost lifeless, and he twitched. "Oh, Polly... it's been so long since I've seen you... I'm so sorry for making you and Anne worry about me for all of this time..."

They embraced, and the cook shook her head. "It's alright, as long as I have you back now!" She looked over to Vyse. "Vyse, thank you so much! Without your help I would have never found Robinson again!"

"... You're Vyse, then?" Robinson reexamined Vyse, more of his former mind returning each moment. "You say that you have a ship that can... can cross this Rift?"

Vyse nodded. "The _Delphinus_. It's waiting for us. We'll take you with us, of course, and help you fully recover." The prospect of leaving, of _leaving_ his small prison island for the first time in the darkest period of his entire life gave him an unspeakable joy, and his lightened eyes communicated his gratitude far better than his broken vocabulary could.

"... Yes. I would like that..." He looked over to Polly, and then kissed her, years of emotion flooding out from both of them. When they finally separated, he cocked a light grin under his enormous, unkempt dark beard. "Heh... Polly, you're a lot more woman than I remember seeing you as..."

Polly frowned. "All this time, and that's all you've got to say to me?!"

Doc snorted. "Five minutes and they're already an old married couple again. Definite signs of progress." He said, "I wonder what could have caused your amnesia, though, Robinson..."

"I'll try and remember that..." The sailor thought back to his most distant memories, picking out events slowly from each other in the tangled web of his mind. "... some kinda... creature... hit me with... something..." He looked around. "I was exploring this small island again, everyone else had already... passed on... when some enormous monster came out into the pocket. It was too big to even try and fight... I thought I was gonna get eaten. But when it got close, it only sprayed me with some inky stuff... it burned my mind..."

Vyse looked at him. "A monster that can affect people's minds? That can't be good... I really hope it still isn't around here..."

Polly said, "Either way, we should get whatever we can from this ship and then get back to the _Delphinus_, Vyse."

Robinson nodded. "I think I've far overstayed my welcome here. You're free to have all the supplies aboard the ship, I haven't had much need for moonstone fuel, seeing as how the ship's engine was busted and I was just a sailor, not an engineer. The chambers should be pretty full, and I got food and other stuff here, too."

The teenager grinned, his usual buoyancy having by now returned in full force after the trauma of the long journey. "Alright." They went down into the decks of the ship, retrieving containers full of the precious radiative material which would allow them to continue their quest and bringing them back to the _Sacres_, along with weapons and supplies. When everything had been stripped from the hulk, they boarded the medical skiff and set off, rising in the secluded air of the calm pocket.

"Delphinus _to_ Sacres. _What's your status?_ _The other teams have reported in with their finds by now_," David asked over the radio. The appearance of his voice badly frightened Robinson, who had to be told what a radio was. Such technology was not common, especially in the years ago of his day.

"Dave, we've picked up yet another crewman aboard the wreck, as well as a shitload of stuff," Vyse proudly reported to his Vice Captain, waiting aboard the ship.

"_Another? Moons Alive, another mouth to feed. I assume this one didn't try and kill you_?"

"No, his contribution to the cause was more of the 'give us all his stuff and join our voyage' sort of line," Vyse replied, grinning. "His name's Robinson, Polly's long-lost husband. We'll give you all of the details once we're back aboard. By the way, the ship looks like crap."

"_Affirmative, and agreed on that final statement, Vyse_. Delphinus_ out_."

Doc smiled at Polly and Robinson. "Looks like both of us got a happy reunion..." His thoughts turned to Piastol, the newly redeeming bounty huntress. "Fate certainly has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. But it looks like things are looking up."

"Certainly appears that way," Vyse said, pulling into the hangar and locking down the skiff's control, feeling the rumble of the deck as it made contact with the magnetic rails. "Let's get working, we'll need to make a bunch of trips to scoop up all the supplies in the wreckages."

_Maybe I'll find a kickass weapon somewhere_, Vyse mused. _Nah. Not that lucky_.


	4. In the Clear

Chapter Four- In The Clear

Vyse raised his blades and smirked. "Today's the day you're gonna get it once and for all, Aika." The weapon he held was not his traditional main pirate cutlass, but one of the pieces of salvage recovered by a team of his crew. The weapon was called the Dream Cutlass, and looked like no blade he had ever seen before. It was feather-light, but when it struck an object with force it unleashed powerful energy of a kind that nobody could identify. As the only one who wielded the heavy cutlass-blade type swords aboard the ship and as the captain, he naturally got to test out the Dream Cutlass. Aika, always up for combat, was happy to oblige him.

"Why don't you go fuck yourself," She wittily replied, twirling her boomerang and crouching. They faced off against each other in the large, square room, with several members of the crew looking on, including Doc (just in case.) Marco was chanting the ubiquitous request for 'fight, fight, fight', while Maria hid behind him, timidly hoping nobody was injured.

"Why should I do that when you'll do that for me?" Vyse charged at her with speed, slicing upwards and nearly beheading her. She knelt, bringing the boomerang up and knocking the broad side of the crystal weapon onto his side with a thump. He tumbled backwards, but regained his footing. "C'mon, Aika, hit me better than that."

"You're welcome." She knelt again, closing her eyes. "Moons! Give Me Strength!" Bolts of electricity appeared in her closed fist, encircling an orb of power that crew each moment as the Electres spell charged up. Vyse knew better than to let her get the spell off, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a grenade. He primed it by pulling out the small metal pin and then threw it at her, arcing through the air and clattering to a halt at her toes.

The explosion took a chunk out of the soft mat laid out under the combatants' feet, but Aika, with her own speed, was long gone and took to damage. Taking advantage of the smoke concealment, she let fly her boomerang right for him. Vyse crossed his blades in front of him, preparing a Counterstrike and feeling the Dream Cutlasses charge with energy. When the weapon smacked into the blades, it was repelled with equal force, and Aika barely caught it without breaking her arm. Using the momentum from the Counterstrike, he sent a wind strike her way, which she narrowly avoided.

Vyse was so caught up in his own cleverness that he barely noticed her own smirk. Curious, as she only ever looked so pleased in combat when he was about to fall into a trap, he looked around, circumspect as the grenade's smoke wafted around him. He realized that the smoke was slightly discolored, and suddenly he bent over, coughing.

"Noxi," Aika chuckled. "Poisonous line of Green Spells I've been practicing on monsters for a while. You should have looked closer, Vyse. Of course, this gas will just paralyze you for a few moments, but theoretically I could really tear your ass up."

"Aika wins," David announced. "Moons Alive, Vyse. What is that, five in a row? You'd think that since you're way stronger you'd at least manage not to get beat every time."

"She's a lot smarter," Belle giggled. "She always uses traps and magic, while Vyse usually just uses items and his own two hands." The gunner nodded sagely. "It isn't all about firepower. That's why I'm better with the _Delphinus_' secondaries, in the long run they're the real punishers." Vyse soon recovered, getting back up to his feet with Aika's help and looking very discontented. She tried to look innocent, and summarily failed horribly to do so.

"'It isn't all about firepower'?!" Khazim at first had been a little distanced from his fellow battery commander, due to the fact that she was a little girl and very busty, but he had slowly warmed to her, treating her and her girls like guy friends, after seeing her skill and determination. "Listen to you, Belle! The mains get the job done, and get it done fast! Aika never fights fair, that's why the Cap'n hasn't won... yet. You just wait!"

"Yeah, we'll wait for that." Belle winked, giggling again.

Maria went up to Vyse, offering him a Sacri crystal before quickly retreating back away from him. She was always shy around people, but seemingly twice as much around Vyse, who became nearly a big brother to her. Doc encouraged it, as he did Marco's friendship, as ways for her to slowly easy back into normal socialization.

The walls rattled harshly as usual, but everyone soon detected a decrease in the rumbling and groaning. "Already?" Vyse wondered aloud, walking over to the talking-tube. "Bridge, what you got on the radar?"

"We're drawing near another pocket," Lawrence replied quietly.

"Hrmph, we've only been underway about a day," Marco said. "Not that I'm complaining. I get some fresh air again..." As a Valuan, born and raised in the most polluted place in the entire world, he knew the true value of such air.

"... ETA five minutes," The helmsman finished, closing off the tube again on his end and finishing communications. Vyse grinned, nodding to everyone, who rushed off for their stations. Fina, who had remained silently watching, joined David, Aika, Vyse and Marco as they all ascended a flight of stairs towards the warship's bridge.

"Hey Fina, would you like to spar with us next time?" Vyse offered. "I really wasn't going to say anything... but even with Cupil, it's dangerous if you aren't skilled enough in personal combat."

Fina paused. "... Very well, Vyse. I'll train more often, if you think that's what's best." She smiled gently at him. "I'm still trying to get used to the whole concept of getting into someone's face and... 'beating the stuffing out of them' ... it's so... strange for me."

Aika giggled. "I never envisioned you the brawling type, Fina." The Silvite reddened slightly, even though she internally agreed with the redhead's assessment.

They reached the command deck, David stepping forward in the dim lighting. "We've been at this for about eight days now, although day and night don't have any meaning here... I wonder, truly, how big the Dark Rift is?"

"It's probably smaller than we think," Pinata said next to Lawrence. "The winds keep pushing us back, meaning we're literally crawling along. I estimate we've only traveled about the same distance it was from Pirate Island to Nasr, but it's just taking so much longer because of the adverse conditions."

Around them, the winds tapered off, as usual, and soon the metal bulkheads that surrounded them no longer emitted the ominous groaning from the air pressure. They emerged into a membrane of shielding winds, passing totally through and into the miraculous bubble of calm. After a few moments in open, free sky, Lawrence once again began to retract the lockdown armor. The _Delphinus_' second shell slid open, but no light came through.

Outside the open windows, it was a pitch-blackness that revealed nothing ahead of the ship's long metallic prow. Vyse squinted into it, his magnified skyglass revealing nothing. "... Why's it so dark here, David? The other bubbles had some light filtering into them..." The _Delphinus_ flew ahead, totally blind to anything that might be approaching. In such a foreign area, this made the entire crew slightly nervous.

Lawrence consulted the radar display while David pondered. "It could be that we're closer to the center of the Rift. If this is the eye of the thickest storm in history, then obviously the sun won't be shining too bright... or maybe it's a magical effect. Without further data, we have no way of knowing. What's the radar say?"

"This whole bubble is empty," The pilot announced. "No pings between here and the wind-walls... no land, or anything at all. That isn't the weirdest part... look at this." Five apertures appeared distant from each other along the walls of the calm pocket and above and below it, making huge vortexes leading to half a dozen different channels of reduced winds.

"Son of a Huskra," Vyse groaned. "Besides the one we came in, how do we choose which way to go? I mean, none of them are straight ahead, the obvious choice..." His mental deliberation was interrupted as the entire ship jolted and a banging sound clattered through his bones. Wincing, he looked around, and saw that the nose of the airship was scraping hard against something. "Report!"

"We hit something," Lawrence said, hitting the reverse thrust and feeling the propellers change the direction of their rotation, quickly pulling them away from the large and mysterious object. "Something hard."

"I thought the radar didn't show anything," Aika said.

"It didn't," The mercenary replied calmly. "It still doesn't."

"Probably a glitch or a malfunction," David sighed. "Or an effect of the Rift. Well, Captain Vyse? What should we do?" They were almost in the center of the calm bubble, floating, suspended in midair. _It really sucks that all of the running lights on the ship were blown out, this is what they were made for!_

"I'm curious about what we hit," Vyse said. "It doesn't appear on radars... hold the ship here, I'm going to take a lifeboat out and check it out closer. Aika, Fina, c'mon, your magic can help give us some light. David, contact us at the first sign of trouble."

"That's what I was about to say," The Vice Captain smirked. "We'll hold the fort. Maybe we just made a major discovery, who knows." The three teenagers made their way down to the hangar, opening the doors into the pitch-black silence of the calm air. It was still eerie for them not to hear the malignant rush of air and the groaning of the deck under them as nature did it's best to rip them apart.

Climbing aboard the metal lifeboat, Vyse turned to the engine and started it up. The ship began to raise itself off of it's resting place on a set of magnetic rails, floating gently towards the open maw of the bay doors. The propeller in the back rushed and hummed, and they began to move faster, coming out of the ship and turning around. He was glad to be back at the wheel of a ship, even if it was a very temporary journey. _And even if I can't see a damn thing_.

"Visibility is worse than when we fought Rhaknam," Aika complained. "Let's see if I can't lighten things up a bit with some Yellow Magic..."

"Wait, Aika, I can handle this," The timid blonde behind her said, even as she knelt onto the cold metal deck of the skiff. "Moons... Bathe Us In Your Light..." She clasped her hands together, prayed with all of her will that she might be heard above the winds of their gigantic prison. Both of the teenagers watched in awe as an ambient glow above them began to intensify. The power of the Silver Moon reached even this distant part of the world, and a beam of silver energy shot down towards Arcadia, filling the entire calm bubble with intensifying light.

Vyse was stunned speechless as, through willpower alone, Fina literally made the heavens into her torch, casting light into places it had not been seen for eons. The gigantic cloud swirls above them receded and broke apart to admit the shining orb of the Silver Moon to smile down upon then.

A dozen things all at once struck both of the observers. First, they were in an enormous reef of crystal formations, all of the stones jet-black and seeming to absorb the light as it surrounded them, and resonate with the glow. It was the opposite of the empty bubble claimed by the _Delphinus_' radar system. There was no land, but the crystals had more area than the islands he had previously seen, and held a mysterious quality to them that drew his eye.

"Vyse! ... Look up!" Aika pointed towards the sky. Next to the unnatural appearance of the Silver Moon, a second orb stood above them, it's completely black glow throwing tendrils of darkness that tangled into the light and fought it for supremacy over them. "It's... it's a Black Moon!"

"A... seventh moon..." Vyse blanched. This was almost too much for even him to take in at once. He looked over to Fina. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," She assured him, although her gentle voice sounded slightly strained by the no doubt enormous exertions she put out to keep the Silver Moon above their heads. "Nobody has ever... seen a Black Moon before... the Elders thought it was just a rumor..."

"A lot of rumors have some base in truth," Vyse turned back to the wheel and looked around. "Why does this crystal absorb light like that? It's the blackest thing I've ever seen."

"Who knows," Aika said. "We should cut off a piece and take it with us to get someone who knows stuff to study it. Plus something like this could be worth big bucks to a collector who wants a fancy stone in their jewelry..." The familiar gold-hungry expression took dominion of her features and Vyse sighed, realizing she was quickly slipping into her own blissful world of riches and grandeur.

Vyse squinted at the black crystal. It looked solid, but he pulled out one of his cutlasses, twirling the dream blade and focusing will into it for a Cutlass Fury attack which would hopefully crack it's flawless surface. The lifeboat saddled gently up to the central crystal, getting close enough to gently bump against it before the teenager began to furiously pound it with his sword. The small boat rocked with the force of the blasts as explosions bloomed before his eyes.

The black crystal absorbed and reflected all of the energy, sending a wave of opposing force at him that knocked him onto his back with a deafening boom. "What the hell?!" He demanded, quickly standing back up as Aika stared at the mysterious object. It's surface wasn't even tarnished by the force of his blades or willpower strikes, having rendered the attack completely useless.

"Looks like it's some kinda magic," Aika sighed. "I couldn't tell you what kind, though... I don't think we're going to be able to scratch this thing."

"Damn," The teenage pirate cursed. "... Well, I suppose we can't take any with us, then. Let's get back to the ship, we're just wasting fuel." Turning away from the miraculous discovery, the pilot spared a glance skyward before setting off to the nearby waiting mothership. The _Delphinus_' hangar door opened up, admitting their skiff into it and closing behind them even as they set down on the deck.

David was waiting for them, awestruck as they were. "A Black Moon! This is incredible stuff, Vyse! We just discovered the legendary seventh moon in the sky..." His hidden eyes flickered over to the spent Silvite. "Fina, you look beaten. I can't blame you after the light show. That was something else, you've gotten truly powerful."

Vyse smirked. "What I said about fighting might be true, but in Magic and the Moons nothing can top Fina. She's awesome." Aika agreed silently with this assessment.

Fina blushed under the weight of the praise, looking away and struggling to get back to her feet. "It wasn't that much, really... all Silvites can call upon their moon in times of need, I'm much weaker than the Elders or Rami-" She cut herself off before she could complete the name of the commander that had laid waste to Nasrad and personally taken her as a Valuan hostage.

"Any practical reason for sticking around here?" Vyse wondered, leaping down to the Vice Captain and gracefully ignoring the slip about their enemy.

"Not a one. No salvage, nothing much to see now that the Lunar Light is receding..." David nodded. "We can continue underway now. Lawrence is confident he can reach any of the apertures, now that we've sight-mapped them roughly. All we need is a course. Remember, we have a lot of options." _Likely only one that will keep us moving forward... if any of them do_.

"Let's get up to the bridge, then," Vyse said, leading the group into the hallway.

0-0

By now it was almost a familiar routine, but that hadn't made the three days of travel any less hard on the pirate crew. Despite this difficulty, Piastol was coming along well, taking more than a cursory look at Green Magic and taking lessons from Fina, and still trying to atone for her sins. Robinson proved to be an able sailor, and had gotten his monstrous hair trimmed back to sane levels, although he retained a mop of black tied back in a simple, efficient ponytail, and donned a gray sailors' outfit. Vyse retained his high spirits, the familiar almost arrogant total confidence enlightening his face to all observers.

The light seemed to steadily increase as they flew over the ominously barren landmasses. Not a single shipwreck of piece of man-made debris remained on the mossy structures, which David commented on. "It's almost like something swept em off or ate the hulks... I have a bad feeling about this." Despite his bad feeling, most of the crew were out on the deck enjoying the fresher air and degrees of natural light shining down upon them.

Lawrence looked at the aperture directly in front of them, and frowned. "Monster," He declared, his trademark terseness completely washing over the others, who also turned to examine the portal. Vyse and David did a double-take at the creature occupying a good part of the space in the swirling wind formation.

The creature looked like a gigantic eel, bigger and longer than the ship itself, with a ruddy yellow flexible skin. It's head was taller than it was long, and tapered off into purple fin-gills connecting it to the long tail-like main body. The head itself was a bright orange, or what David decided was it's head as it swayed about in midair.

"Anguila," Fina gasped. "It was a species of enormous flying eels that possessed incredibly potent neurotoxins, but according to the Shrine's records, the species died out ages ago."

"Hm... lots of surprises, this Rift," David smirked. "Is it hostile? Will it let us past?"

"Unlikely. Anguila were fiercely territorial, and might see us as either a potential mate, food source, or competitor for it's region." Fina frowned. None of those options sounded very appealing, considering it's enormous side. It continued to writhe about in the dark winds, partially concealed most of the time and observing the slowly approaching airship.

"So it's either going to kill us, eat us or hump us," Vyse sighed. "Looks like it's time for a fight." He clicked onto the talking-tube. "Khazim, Belle, it's time for some action." The captain smirked at the energetic cheers of the gunners and their crews. "The lockdown on the cannon batteries should have lifted with the rest of the ship... get all our weapons ready to rock. Everyone else, man your battlestations! David, strategy?"

"It's using the vortex for cover," The Vice Captain observed. "We don't know what the Anguila can do, but I think we should take a risk and get closer so we can increase our own accuracy. I'll power up the moonstone cannon, too."

Enrique groaned from behind them. "Hm... I'm feeling well enough to man the torpedo sets, if I may. Vyse, I recommend we keep our distance from the creature. We need to conserve hull armor as much as possible for the rest of our journey."

Vyse sighed. "Alright, let's get closer. This place is so dark our accuracy is bad enough as it is. The ship can take it, especially if all it's gonna do is ink us. That might hurt people, like Robinson, but steel's a different story." In response to his order, the _Delphinus_ revved up it's engines, pushing forward through the sky and past the tangling and deformed landmasses.

The Anguila let loose an angry bellow as the slightly smaller Valuan battleship edged closer, and twirled around in the vortex to face it down. Suddenly and without warning, it withdrew fully into the inky black depths of the windy aperture. The ship's turrets tracked over and all aimed for the large portal. "Khazim, give him a round," Vyse ordered, and felt the reassuring rattle of the deck as the ship's main battery loosed a volley of explosive shells.

Screaming through the air, they vanished into the whipping air currents, and dimly a set of flashes filtered through the swirling vortex. "Hm..." David squinted. "I can't tell if it had any effect, Vyse..." A moment later he got his answer, as the eel reappeared again, only it's head bobbing out of it's cover and looking untouched. "Fuck."

"I don't think we're going to be able to hit it when it has that wind cover," Aika sighed. "Let's try some torpedoes-" She was interrupted as it's tail suddenly appeared out of the vortex and opened up, strongly reminding Vyse of the Moonstone Cannon. "Here comes it's reply, guys!" Waves of energy appeared around it's body, and an orb of power charged up around before it, and it discharged a large globule of liquid that shot out at them so quickly they had no time to evade.

The material appeared to be some kind of biochemical reactant, which meant that upon contact with the cold metal ship it exploded and shoved them back, chewing away at the battered prow of the weathered airship. The engines struggled back even as the crew was shaken up, but David quickly recovered. "That's some kinda toxin! Moons, a few hits like that and the ship's not going to hold it!"

"Orders?" Lawrence calmly asked.

"Hold our position," Stubbornly barked the teenager. "Torpedoes, secondaries, return fire now!" The ship rattled and rumbled under their feet as Belle's batteries of cannon coils sent streams of explosives into the concealed enemy, sparking a set of lights walking across the swirling wind. The torpedoes shot straight upwards, piercing the top of the calm bubble but moving with such speed at the torrential winds outside did little to affect their course.

The Anguila was again untouched by the cannon fire, emerging after a few seconds and opening it's enormous mouth to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. "It's going to try and bite us," Marco yelled. "Heh, here come the torpedoes..."

The columns of fire that blossomed on the front of the gigantic eel were rather beautiful, illuminating with fiery flashes the vortex around it and making it cry out in pain. The torpedo impacts blasted into the flesh and burned it, shooting waves of agony into the Anguila. Vyse smirked. "Alright, let's follow up with our Super Cannon. David, charge up to fire!" The Vice Captain worked the controls, and the prow of the _Delphinus_ bloomed outwards to reveal the pristine black barrel of the deadly superweapon.

"This guy wasn't so tough," Aika scoffed, watching the creature become enraged and turn towards them. "It's still gonna lunge at us? Wow." Opening it's toothy maw, it rushed forward at an amazingly brisk speed, which made her slightly concerned about the progress of the Moonstone Cannon's charge.

"Here's something for it to suck on," David growled. "One hundred percent power, Captain!"

"Good! Moonstone Cannon, fire!" The ship was shoved back, but this time it was due to the incredible recoil of their secret weapon. A beam of purple energy shot forth from the buckling metal prow, neatly lancing into the inviting throat of the Anguila and burning a hole clear through it's tail in the other end. It twirled in the air before falling with a last guttural roar, and Vyse watched it vanish quickly below the first layers of the calm bubble's 'floor'. "Yeah! We beat it!" The crew began to cheer for their victory.

Moments later, a globule of poisonous explosive rushed up through the air, hitting the bottom armor of the ship without any warning or mercy. Shoving them forward and hitting the crew inside against the advancing deck, it spat through the vulnerable section of defensive plating. The damage was severe enough where it burned a hole clear into the ship, completely breaching the hull. "Hull breach," David cried as alarms began to sound. "Damage reports coming in... the main coils of the Moonstone Cannon have been hit! The S. Cannon is out of commission!"

"Moons Alive," Pinata said in surprise, picking himself off of the floor gingerly. "Or, more accurately, Anguila alive!" Shooting up in the air, the eel barely missed them, shoving the airship aside as it rocketed forward and uncurled, roaring at them from a position above and directly in front of the _Delphinus_.

"It survived our most powerful gun," Enrique glared at the looming Dark Rift monster that flashed it's teeth once again at his metal opponent. "Vyse! What are we going to do?!"

"Everyone, hang on! Lawrence, angle us up and begin to climb. All batteries, that thing is out into the open- fire at will!" The ground tilted backwards, putting paid to all of the crew to find some solid footing and a handhold on a wall or control surface. The real difficulties began when the batteries of cannons began to fire, sending volleys of main and secondary shells whistling through the air in enormous buckshot and single-shot patterns.

The Anguila was so thin that many of the shells streaked off to either side of it, barely glancing it enough to send them off-course before they exploded, or was simply too quick as it whipped around through the air. "It's evasion is impressive," Aika gasped. "Vyse, we need a plan!"

"Magic Cannons," Vyse ordered. "Double-quick! Load Driln shells into the secondaries and let 'er rip! If we can weaken the eel enough to slow it down, we can hit it with more torpedoes or force it back into the winds!"

Within moments, the cannon ammo had been swapped out and shells enchanted by mages of the Yellow Moon began to thunder outwards, exploding around the eel in patterns of electricity. Even with the best efforts of the gunners, the weaving enemy made tough prey indeed, and it circled the ship quicker than Lawrence could turn it, meaning the Anguila was only in their sights when it was in front of the front arc of the ship. With each pass, the eel drew slightly closer to the ship, which was not moving for fear of throwing off their aim further.

Khazim was swearing up a storm in Nasrian that made anyone who could understand the Red language blush, even the stoic Lawrence. When a shell finally landed, it writhed in pain as snowflakes of yellow light burst around it, filling it with weakening powers. "Yeah! That's more like it, men! Keep going!" With each hit, the eel slowed down a little, making the next hit a little more easy to land, and soon it wasn't going very quickly at all.

"Stuck in the mud?" Vyse smirked. "We're still perfect. Lawrence, let's get movi-" Before he could give the command, Anguila radically changed its failed tactics. It dove straight in from the side and bared its teeth for yet another shot at taking a bite from the steel warship. "At least he doesn't quit easy..."

Lawrence spun the wheel, feeling the ship respond to his command and smoothly sliding out of the way... mostly. One of the maneuvering wings in the back of the ship was ripped off with a horrible groaning sound and the _Delphinus_ was knocked forward, but the eel was past them, chewing on the metal in it's mouth. "We lost a fin," He announced. "No other damage... turning to attack." The ship pivoted again, rotating around to face the writhing creature.

"We need to end this while the ship is still intact," David sighed. "Let's get in close and blast him with everything we have. Pyrulen shells." The incredibly potent Red Magic spell would imbibe a regular cannonball with extraordinary explosive powers, but a shell from the _Delphinus_' main cannon would have roughly the stopping power of a sky rift.

"Right. C'mon, Fina!" They had no enchantments for such a dangerous and powerful spell, so the two girls had to run down to the magazine and manually begin the spells. Aika led her out of the bridge and down a flight of stairs, running at full speed even as the _Delphinus_ began to overtake the fleeing form of the Anguila. Khazim looked over as they entered the vast storage rooms which held the finely-crafted explosives shot from their cannons and grinned, pointing them towards the shells to be enchanted, each of which were about as large as they were.

"Moons, Give Me Strength," Fina implored, summoning forth all of her considerable magical power into the single Red spell. Lines of bloody-red energy crossed in a grid formation over the shell, which began to glow a dangerous orange-color that combined with Fina's spell and now held enough magical potential energy to wipe out a small island.

"Main cannons... get ready..." The enormous blocky turret swiveled into place, centering on the yellowish skin of the Anguila. "Take this, you bloody eel! Fire!" With thunder and smoke the deadly messenger made it's path across the sky and enveloped the entire monster in a sphere of pure fire.

For several terse seconds nobody moved, and then they saw the bombed-out husk of the Anguila once again sink, although this time it didn't move at all and parts of it's long body were simply evaporated. There was no question this time- the deadly monster was dead, and the cheers from the Blue Rogue crew began in earnest.

Vyse leaned over to the talking-tube. "Good work, everyone! The way is clear, as soon as we patch up that hole we can keep on movin'!"

The crew, morale soaring from their victory, went to work repairing the newest injuries inflicted on the worn and melted armor facets of their flagship. After an hour of welding and smelting, the ship was once again airtight, and everyone went inside for the lockdown. Within a minute the _Delphinus_ was back underway inside the shifting air currents, and they continued on their journey towards the far-away lands basking in the light of the Blue Moon.

0-0

Each time they drew breath they were making history. No human being in the recorded history of any post-Rains civilization had ever done what they had done. Over the past two weeks, the crew had endured a variety of obstacles and challenges, suffered long periods of lightless claustrophobia and defeated an ancient monster, as well as the feared Angel of Death within the rippling folds of the Dark Rift.

As the shutters slid open for the last time in their journey, full and glorious light, absent for a seeming eternity from their lives, flooded back into the bridge. Vyse blinked several times, unused to the bright red-tinted open sky that stretched out before them. "... we did it."

"Yeah." David couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk that crossed his mysterious face. Each moment the airship slid further away from the nightmarish storm just behind them, and the skies got a little more blue and a little less red. Out on the deck every member of the crew but they and their pilot were celebrating their return to a world of openness and light.

Robinson was the one most struck out of everyone, never remembering a time when he had been out of the Rift. He stood by his wife's side, tightly holding her hand in his own weathered appendage and gazing out upon the sky. Such feelings welled up in him that defied description or control, and he began to tear-up, letting the gentle breezes wash across his newly shaved face.

Piastol looked over at Maria, and they exchanged a smile. Doc stood between the two girls, pondering the turbulent events of the past three weeks since he had joined Vyse's crew. Marco and Pinata were leaning over the railing while the gunnery crews and their commanders simply laid on the deck, basking in the open sunlight. Luke and Rodgers, up on the observation deck, huddled closer together under her jacket and smiled at the rising orb of the blazing sun. Even Pow was incredibly grateful to be out on the deck, yipping excitedly.

Looking up into the sky, Fina spotted a blue orb rising next to the sun and said, "The Blue Moon... we're entering Yafutoman airspace, Vyse. All we have to do is go due-north and we should soon see the Blue Lands."

Aika shook her head wistfully. "Lands under the Blue Moon... last month such a thing would have gotten you laughed at by me, possibly a slap on the face for some sense-knocking... but look at this. We've actually done it, Vyse. I just hope the people there don't try to eat us with their chop-stick things..."

Vyse smirked. "Insert bad joke about how you taste, here. Lawrence, you can take some time off, if you want. You've been spending a lot of time at the helm ever since we've begun the journey." _Minus the time you got attacked by our new crew mate. I'll omit that part for now_.

"It's what I'm paid for," The mercenary shook his shrouded head. "I'm not big on relaxation. I can do my job, Captain."

"Alright..." The teenager had a seat on the maps table in the center of the bridge and sighed. "I'm so glad we're out of there! I can't want to see these Yafutomans, and their ships... I hope we'll be greeted like gods, like at Ixa'taka! Heh."

The _Delphinus_, weathered, beaten, scorched, ripped, and shattered though it was, continued it's course north, still in the air and still with a crew full of rebels who aimed to save the world. About three hours after they emerged from the Dark Rift, the sky had turned completely into it's glorious blue hues and they easily forded a minor sky rift directly in their path. After the difficulty of the enormous black storm, the regular rifts seemed like trifling jokes to Vyse.

Within minutes of clearing the rift they sighted a long object ahead, which Vyse identified as a set of floating stone walls mounted on islands in a solid line, except for large holes and chunks blasted or dug out of the walls. "Amazing," He said. "The people of Yafutoma could build such a structure?" It looked like a minimalist interpretation of Valua's Grand Fortress.

"The more I see, the more I _want_ to see," Aika said, giggling. "I wonder where they are, though... we should be seeing some ships about now... hey, dead ahead!" Three ships had appeared from behind the walls and islands. They looked paper-thin, covered in scales and made of wood with heavily folded papyrus sails and plywood maneuvering fins. So strange was their appearance that the crew was taken with them enough to only notice the black cannons jutting out from their broadsides as a round of explosions shoved them sideways.

Everyone gasped, hanging on as the ship rattled from more explosive impacts to either side of the damaged hull. "Damn," David cursed. "They just came outa nowhere and started shelling us, Vyse! Orders?"

"I guess we have to return fire," The teenager shrugged. "I hate that this is our first contact, but we need to act in self-defense. All hands, battlestations!" The Yafutoman ships continued their fire, but Lawrence began a skillful set of evasive actions that made the lump of metal move in ways it was never believed possible. "They don't look very solid... Belle, give them a round from the secondary cannons!"

Complying with his directive, the sets of turrets mounted over the misshapen airship swiveled around and locked onto the approaching figures of the foreign attackers. A moment later the groaning frame of steel rattled from the force of a dozen cannons spitting fire. The streams of small shells rocketed forth into the sky in long expanding lines that crisscrossed the sky.

One of the Yafutoman warships took a direct hit astern, being shoved backwards as it's light armor burned away in fire. Smoke belched forth from the impact crater and several of it's cannons were melted or wrecked. In response, they and the two other ships began to rise, high into the sky and above the tracking range of the _Delphinus_' guns.

"Yafutomans harness the power of the Blue Moonstones, which control wind and water," Fina declared, hanging on to a control surface as cannonballs burst around them in continuing volleys, "So their ships can go much higher and quicker than yours!"

"Lost," Belle yelled into the talking tube over the clatter of the machinery behind her loading and clearing the cannon coils.

"In the ship's damaged condition, I don't think it would be wise to try and climb that high," Lawrence advised. "Several propellers are out of commission, and if we stall, I'm not sure I can recover us in time to continue." They passed almost directly below the Yafutoman ships, turning around in a circle as the three enemies pivoted and prepared to continue raining fire at the pirate ship.

"If our guns can't hit them, at least our torpedoes can get the job done! Enrique!" Pillars of fire bloomed out from the top of the ship's long and bent metal prow. Apparently their enemy had never seen torpedo-type weaponry before, because they assumed the fire was a direct-line weapon and took no evasive action, firing at their back as the _Delphinus_ retreated.

Their ignorance exacted a severe toll. The center Yafutoman vessel exploded, ripped apart by twin hits from the plunging explosive charges. Splintered wood and metal scales crowded the sky as debris rained from the crumbling ship and fire consumed it's folded paper sails. Breaking apart into several pieces, the ship sank in the clear blue skies towards Deep Sky. Several lifeboats quickly lifted off and floated away from the doomed hulk.

Snapping about again and preparing to head in for another pass, the crew were surprised to find the two surviving boats begin a retreat, slipping lower until they had vanished under the clouds. This mastery of altitude astounded them just as much as how they had evaded their cannons by climbing so high, and they watched until the last sails dissipated. Enrique allowed himself a victorious smile before a fourth, radically different airship appeared and began a beeline for them. "Vyse! What appears to be the enemy's flagship is coming in!"

It looked like two boats joined at the side, thick wooden armor protecting it's heavy batteries of cannons sticking out both sides and their long folded sails billowing in the wind. The carved figures of dragons were put on the prow, reminding Vyse of Black Pirate vessels that did the same thing, mostly to inspire fear at their approach.

Their tactics were much more familiar to David, who squinted. "Vyse, they're coming in at full rudder... they're planning a boarding action! We should get combat-ready crewmen out on the deck to repel their troops!"

"Agreed. David, stay here with the kids and Lawrence and hold our position for now. Enrique, Aika, Fina, let's get moving!" He leaned over to the talking-tube. "Piastol, Luke, Rodgers, to the deck! We have company." He led his group down the hallway, meeting the former bounty hunter and Blue Storm teenagers on the way and charging out onto the deck. Everyone drew their weapons and looked around, but neither the ship nor any soldiers were in sight.

Piastol suddenly looked up at the crest of the _Delphinus_' control tower above them, to the shattered main running light next to the crow's nest, and pointed. "Captain."

"Westerners..." The deep voice was infused with an accent unfamiliar to any of them, but it was definitely some form of Valuan. It belonged to a pair of nearly identical men crouching with astounding balance to either side of the broken light fixture. Each one had a yellowish skin and slanted, determined eyes along with a short and long ponytail but otherwise bald head. One wore a dark blue top armor while the other was adorned in a red top to match his flared red pants. Neither were armed.

"... We've been waiting for you," The other finished for him perfectly, as if they were psychically linked. Aika briefly wondered about what other kinds of natural powers the foreign race of Yafutoma held.

"Who are you?!" Vyse demanded. "And why have you attacked us?:

"I am Jao," The one in red stated, calmly examining each of the pirate crew that was rushed out to fight them.

"I am Mao," The blue-adorned twin said. "It is our mission..."

"... To collect 1000 swords." The two of them leapt down, in perfect synchronization and landed between them and the deck's main hatch in an unarmed fighting stance that was as perfectly strange to them as was everything about the men. "So, you must pick one, of two choices..."

"... Surrender, and we take your weapons, or we kill you, and take your weapons." Mao raised his bare fists and allowed a supremely confident smirk to cross his chiseled face.

"It is up to you..."

"... To decide your fate," They stated calmly. Vyse's hand went to the hilt of his new Dream Cutlass as he opened his mouth to give them an answer. _So much for being in the clear_.


	5. Yafutoma

Chapter Five- Yafutoma

"I choose... the option where we kick your yellow asses all up and down the deck of our ship and then toss you overboard into Deep Sky. How's that sound for ya?" Vyse's finely crafted defiance, honed to produce an angry reaction from Jao and Mao, seemed to fail in it's mission. Neither were perturbed by the threat, observing them critically in silence for a moment.

"If that is your decision..."

"...Then prepare to die, Westerner!" The twin pair dropped back into their martial stances, preparing to strike with lightning speed.

"Hold up," Vyse continued. "I'm not much on all that fancy book-learnin', but I count seven of us and two of you. Where I come from that isn't much of a fair fight, and frankly you won't last long."

"You underestimate the power of the Tenkou..."

"A fatal mistake," Jao concluded. "However, if you insist on an even fight, we will accept such a challenge..."

"... Choose two of your number with haste, foreigners, and let battle commence!"

Vyse turned on his heel to look over his friends. "Well, guys? Who feels like they could take these creeps in a fair fight?" He gave each of them his confident smirk.

"Vyse..." Piastol spoke up. "Allow me to fight alongside you. I will use my power for your cause now, and strike these intruders down to show you my loyalty."

The teenager made a face. "That's almost like throwing a whole army at them, but if you want. Alright then, everyone else stay back and watch us work..." He twirled his Dream Cutlasses, stepping forward and preparing himself. Piastol darted to his side, enormous Silver Moonstone-tipped scythe out and ready for battle.

"Wait," Enrique spoke up, and everyone looked to the blonde prince. "Vyse, please allow me to fight instead of you. I've been doing little but taking up space ever since we escaped from Valua a month ago, but I wish to prove my worth similarly to Piastol."

"Warriors wishing to test their worth..."

"... In honorable combat? Acceptable," Mao nodded in approval. "Step forward, light-haired opponents, and face our power now!" Before Vyse could open his mouth to form a protest the Tenkou twins darted forward. Enrique drew his yellow royal rapier, standing next to Piastol and forcing the pirate teenager backwards.

They were very fast, and very skilled, sending a seemingly endless flurry of blows towards the Angel of Death as their first target. Her own speed was the only thing saving her from a brutal beating. She blocked their bare fists with her metal scythe and the sound of harsh metallic clanking filled the air.

Enrique used their lack of focus to his advantage, positioning himself behind the martial artists and charging. He thought back to his swordsmanship and dueling lessons at the Royal Academy through his life, and sent a set of swift cuts out. Jao and Mao evaded each hit but it split their attention and gave breathing room to the reformed mercenary.

She turned, sending an air strike in the direction of Mao, who ducked just in time to avoid being knocked off the railing and into Deep Sky. He leapt into the air, spinning and coming down on the deck where Piastol had been standing a fraction of a second earlier with his fist and splitting it into an impact crater of splintered metal shards. Looking behind him, he saw a flash of silver and reacted, catching the scythe and stopping it with his strength.

Instant in her counter, she drop kicked her own weapon, sending it hard into Mao's chiseled chest and pushing him backwards. Curling up into a ball, she altered her momentum in mid-fall and uncurled again, springing her feet out in a downwards chopping motion that failed by a centimeter from connecting with him. He rolled backwards, trying to block out the pain and taking a harsh breath as the combatants stood at the same instant, he wielding her deadly scythe.

The Angel of Death was as lethal unarmed as with her weapon in her hands, and she rushed forward in a blur, within a second in striking distance. Their feet met each other in the middle of the air and shoved them both backwards with a hard thump onto the deck, curling up and spreading out to catch themselves and springing up. He tossed her scythe like Aika used a boomerang, and it twirled through the air at her at nearly the speed of sound.

She caught it, but the momentum sent her flying backwards and only a lucky hold upon the ship's metal railing prevented her long fall. Swinging backwards with the power in her wrist, she landed perching upon the guardrail and brought up her scythe. "You are strong, but I am stronger!" With that she charged again, but Mao side slipped, almost landing a hit to her side before she flipped into the air, right in the path of his follow-up punch.

Pain lanced her muscular stomach as an unknown magical energy pierced her guts, but using sheer willpower she blocked out that feeling. She used the blow's momentum to take her away before she landed on her feet on the deck, skidding back a meter.

Never one to give opportunities to a deadly opponent, Mao was a second behind her, rushing forward. "The power of our _chi_-energy," He smirked. "We use spiritual power in our attacks, and you'll not be able to move after a few more hits!"

Blood splattered into the air in a line, the sharp point of the Silver Moonstone cutting into his armor and flesh with superb ease. He felt indescribable cold well up in his chest, grasping it and gasping as his heart beat several irregular thumps. "Silver Moonstone Alloy," She spat in his face, "It has the powers of life and death... guess which you're going to feel..." Bringing it above her head for a cumbersome but almighty strike, she almost had him before he recovered enough to roll backwards.

Mao still held his bleeding chest as he stood back up in front of her, gasping and attempting to calm himself in the face of a completely foreign attack on his homeostasis. "Impressive, but your comrade isn't..."

"... Faring quite so well, are you, Westerner?" Enrique was quick, but wasn't in the same league as Jao, who evaded his blows and circumvented his blocks with unnerving speed. His fists landed dozens of punishing hits on his lithe frame, which could barely withstand the spiritual power infused in Jao's attacks. A lucky strike had nicked the Yafutoman pirate's shoulder from which a sliver of blood flowed, but Enrique was far worse off for wear.

The blonde offered no retort, trying another swing, but his injuries further slowed him. He was slower than a slug to the elite martial combatant, who got behind him and delivered a jarring kick to his spine that made him limply fall over.

"Enrique!" Vyse called out, making to move forward and help him. He stopped himself after he saw the prince move, albeit weakly, onto his side and shiver.

"No... I must do this... myself..." Struggling to his feet somehow, he had no way to block a face-palm from Jao. Twisting sideways into the air like a sick rag doll, his broken nose freely allowed his red blood to cover his face even as he contacted the cold metal deck again. The yellow rapier he had grasped clattered to the ground next to him, all but forgotten as pain was Enrique's entire world and mind.

Jao wasted not a single second, bringing up his foot and preparing to snap the pale teenager's neck and end his life. Something knocked him aside, which appeared as Piastol's leveled shoulder. She tackled him fully, and before he could fall she had landed over the prostrate form of the royal Valuan in a defensive posture. "Enrique," She barked. "Are you conscious?"

"Yes..." He coughed as blood flowed into his airways, desperately clearing them for breath again. "Piastol... I can..."

"Stay down," She commanded him, returning to her harsh and cold tones. Her eyes softened slightly. "You're no match for these two..." _I can handle one of them, barely, but two is going to be a problem..._ she looked over to the crew, anxiously waiting near the main hatch of the deck.

"It appears so..." Enrique sighed. "... I'm sorry... this is the least that... I can do..." Gingerly joining his bloody gloved hands he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply. "May Righteousness Be Our Shield!" With all of his remaining willpower, he called forth the dominant genetic trait of members of the Valuan royal family, the ability to cast a powerful shield across himself and allies. "Shield of Justice!"

Blue rings appeared around him and Piastol like a barrier, glowing brightly on the uneven metal surface. Yellow cocoons of translucent energy formed completely around him and Piastol as shields, and the Justice Shield fully formed. The blue lines dissipated a moment later, but the protective field around them both remained.

David, watching from high above in the bridge, smirked. "The bloodline ability of Enrique's family, the Justice Shield... I didn't think he could manage that. The kid's got spunk."

"Now they can't hurt either of them," Pinata cheered, leaping up and down. "Those Tenkou rascals are certainly toasted now!"

"How long'll it last?" Marco asked.

"Who knows," David shrugged. "There've been reports of Shields lasting days under the best conditions, but... um... that's not the best condition. Enrique might have only had enough power to make it last a minute or two, so she'd better do something really quick."

Jao and Mao joined each other again, landing right next to Piastol and Enrique. "So," Jao said, chuckling. "A shield of light..."

"... That we will soon tear down!" Both of them sent simultaneous lightning-fast kicks at the shield protecting the now unconscious monarch, and both were shoved backwards by a repelling force. The Justice Shield's shell remained unchanged, standing strong against them in defiance. Piastol dove for them, but they flipped up out of the way before her scythe cut the open air.

Vyse crossed his arms. "Aika, Fina, Rodgers, now!" At his signal, all three girls began chanting Pyres spells. Flame channels appeared across the sky and descended, devolving into razor-fine lines of magical heat that swirled around like a whip. "Luke, let's go to it!" Luke drew his blade and the teenagers simultaneously attacked, adding yet more to the Tenkou twins' worries. Piastol joined the combat as well, her defensive shield not hindering any blows she sent out of it.

"What about honorable combat, hm?" Jao asked, gasping as a gash appeared across his muscular arm and he was nearly roasted by one of the Pyres whips.

"I lied," Happily explained the Blue Rogue. "See, I'm a good man, but occasionally a little dishonesty goes a long way. Besides, it's more fun this way..." He leapt into the air. "You want a thousand swords, huh? You can have them! Rain of Swords!" A ring of clouds appeared around him as he meaningfully crossed his glowing blades. Luke grinned, leaping back as he predicted what was to come.

In the air around him formed a cloud, which turned out to be a thousand swords of energy. The forming blades all plunged downwards, bombarding the deck with explosions of pure destruction. White light swallowed everything, but when sight returned, Jao and Mao were kneeling on the edge of the deck with multiple burn wounds and their blood flowing freely across the metal. Piastol and Enrique, the only ones in the area of effect, were both fully shielded by Enrique's shield and unharmed.

Aika whooped. "Take that, you assholes! We kick ass, on either side of the world! Yeah!" Rodgers crossed her long arms, nodding victoriously.

Piastol meaningfully made her way over to the wounded Yafutomans, hair blocking her shaded eyes as she tightly gripped her dented scythe. Mao took a step back, bumping into the railing and giving her an angered stare. "Westerners..."

"I will kill you," She vowed, crouching and preparing to spring upon them. Vyse ran over between the two, putting his arms out and having already holstered his Dream Cutlasses.

"Hold it," He said. "We can't just kill em..." The teenager looked down upon the beaten foreigners. "Jao and Mao, you're our prisoners now until we can turn you in to some kind of authority over here... what's this 'Tenkou' you mentioned? Your group?"

"The Tenkou rule the skies under the Blue Moon," Jao replied. "Westerner, you are strong... stronger than we predicted..."

"... However, we will not be your prisoner." Standing up, they both took a single glance backwards and then leapt up onto the railing, plunging themselves off the side and down off of the _Delphinus_. With a gasp, everyone ran to the edge, but they were already gone.

With a rush of wind, the top of a metal mast rushed forward meters from the deck, followed by the rigging and paper sails of their flagship. As the deck raised up to the same level as the pirate flagship, it slowed to a stop, revealing the wounded Tenkous in a sitting position, staring at them.

"This is not the last time..."

"... We will meet, Westerners. We must report this..."

"... To our Commander. Until next time..." The ship began it's ascent again, surpassing them and showing them their flat wooden bottom as it grew smaller and smaller into the sky. They stared in amazement at the altitude achieved with ease by the Tenkou airship. It turned around and set off away from the walls, beady fins across it's hull flapping hard against the thinner air and finally saw them vanish over the light layer of clouds overhead.

"I still can't believe they can fly so Moons-damned high..." Vyse turned around and ran over to Enrique just as his Justice Shield faded and evaporated away from himself. "Oh, shit... shit... he looks really beat up..." He sighed. "It was because I used that stupid lying tactic to catch them off-guard."

"Hey, we won," Aika shrugged. "We'll pump him with Green Magic and put him in the medical bay to recover. He'll be up in a day or two, tops." She gave him a reassuring smile.

Fina spoke up. "Piastol... you were... amazing..." She clapped her hands together and looked down, trying to give her former enemy an honest compliment about her incredible fighting ability. Kneeling next to Enrique she began to chant a set of healing spells to supercharge the prince's recovery.

Such remarks were almost alien to the teenage girl, who blushed slightly. "Um... I was merely fighting off our enemies..." She looked around. "Let us continue on to Yafutoma. These walls must mean that the Blue Lands are nearby."

"Agreed," Vyse nodded. "Let's get Enrique inside, and get going."

0-0

It was indeed a short voyage, and they had not been underway five minutes before they spotted islands. Dozens of landmasses stretched out at random distances from each other and Deep Sky, several containing large lakes of water and a sky waterfall poured clear blue liquid down to their side. Most were abandoned, but several bore strange-looking wooden structures and towns, and the air around them was soon full of Yafutoman airships.

Sensing possible danger, the crew was tense as many foreign ships of all design and size came alongside them in their flight, but most were merchant vessels or private ships that just wanted to investigate the mysterious flying metal object. Bringing the ship to a stop, a vessel sporting a prominent set of black cannons was allowed to toss out lines and connect a boarding ramp.

Men appeared, with the same yellow-tinted skin and black hair as the Tenkou, but they were all dressed in large metal scale-mail of aquamarine color. They wielded long pole arms with metal spears atop them that were almost as tall as they were, and moved in a professional fashion. A dozen Yafutoman soldiers fell out onto the metal deck, and what appeared as an officer with a golden face mask and armor trotted out to meet them.

He spoke, and they were surprised to hear a dialect of Valuan out of him. "So, Westerners have come again to Yafutoma..."

"... This is really Yafutoma?" Vyse looked around at the populated islands, the proud and gentle Blue Moon in the sky above, and the decidedly strange people before them, and found ample proof. A simple nod of the officer's head made him let out a victorious whoop. "Yeah! We made it to Yafutoma! This is awesome!"

David crossed his arms. "Nice going, Vyse. We're all in the history books for this... hey, how come you can speak Valuan? I hope you haven't had contact with them yet..."

"Heh... long ago, many hundreds of years," The man explained. "Our own language is quite different, but all officers of the Yafutoman Navy are trained in a Valuan tongue to help communications, should men of the West ever return to our skies."

Another soldier ran over the ramp, his scale armor clanking together and mingling with his gasps for breath. "_Sumimasen, T__aii,_" He said in Yafutoman, handing him a piece of paper. "_Kotozuke tsukimasu anata no tame_."

"_Arigato, buka_," The officer replied, waving his hand idly in dismissal. The messenger departed back for his ship, and he looked up at them. "This is not surprising... Lord Mikado wishes a personal audience with you, Westerners."

"Lord Mikado? He must be the King of this country," David nodded. "We should follow their ship, Vyse." _I'm glad we got a better reception by the government than by those freaky twins_...

"Lead on," The teenager said. The Yafutomans returned to their ship, taking the lead as the stolen flagship followed close behind. Having a government ship leading them worked well to clear out any sky traffic loitering in their path to catch a glimpse of the strange Valuan airship. As they passed several more villages, they got a true sense of scale of the Blue Lands, and were surprised when the large set of three islands serving as the capitol of the Kingdom finally came into the view on the horizon.

The Royal Palace of Yafutoma stuck out into the sky proudly like Nasrad's Nasultan Palace, a symbol of workmanship and wealth. The town spreading out from it was flanked on either side by spacious rivers flowing down from waterfall islands, and a set of marble walls stood in noble defense of it's large harbor.

"Wow," Aika gasped. "Everything is so pretty here... look at the water! It's all crystal-clear! And there's so much of it..." They passed over an island that was almost in deep sky, spreading out in all directions, and filled completely with water. "It looks like... an ocean... _of water_..." Such a concept was almost unimaginable to the redhead, and the others found it similarly hard to process.

A mountain of ice spiraled up to one side of the sky, with a base of ground and dirt suspended in the air, and on the other was another set of the crumbling ancient defensive walls. David said, "Alright, I think the crew should mostly stay aboard the ship, to reduce any trouble that might happen until we meet with the ruler of this place. Vyse, who do you want to come with you?"

"I'd love to have Enrique here, he's trained to be diplomatic," Vyse sighed. "But he's still way out... Aika, Fina, David, I want you three to come with me. Let's bring Osman, too. Maybe her business experience could help us." He neglected to mention that they would need to compensate for her lack of human diplomacy, though. Clicking on the talking-tube to the Nasrian businesswoman's room, he said, "Osman, report to the lifeboat hangar at once. Time for a little scouting." Vyse said, finally, to Lawrence, "Keep the ship here, nearby, in case there's trouble." The stoic man nodded silently.

"_Very well. I wonder what kind of currency these yellow people use... hm..._" The air pirates made their way to the _Delphinus_' familiar hangar room, where she was indeed waiting for them aboard the _Sacres_. Loading up onto the sailboat, they lifted off and out of the open hatch into the sky.

"The docks are... on water..." David blinked. "Should do fine for our ships, though, since airship hull design is similar to that of its water ancestor ages ago." A lake supported several strange craft which were moored onto docks that led up into the capital town, and they set down in it with a gentle splash. The fins mounted onto the back of the lifeboat kicked up a stream of water behind them.

"Hey, you know that accent the Yafutomans have when they speak Valuan?" Aika giggled. "I think I'm going to call it Valutoman."

Vyse snorted. "That's just painful, Aika." He set the ship right against the docks, feeling the gentle bobbing of it upon the water, just as it did in midair. Laying an anchor and lines down to secure the wooden skiff to the dock, they all debarked quickly onto the paved cobblestone dock.

A crowd of citizens were already assembling to see them. Each of them were suitably surprised by the strange appearances of the air pirates, and made comments upon each of them. The language they used was drastically different from Valuan and nobody could understand them, but the tone of appraising wonder was all too familiar. Vyse smiled to everyone as he passed them through the wide streets of the city and over bridges through the network of waterways crisscrossing the island.

Soldiers awaited them at the inner walls to the Palace complex, silently pushing open the large metal red gates and allowing them admittance. They passed through large vaulted rooms of gold, intricately crafted and dotted with elegant artwork, but most of the building seemed of an all-wooden design.

A royal advisor approached them as they stood before the large double-doors that were the entrance into the main chambers of the palace. "The Lord and Princess await you, Visitors," He said in a more broken Valutoman than others had used for them, and then bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Pushing open the doors, Vyse led the way up the large yellow carpet. To either side, nobles and statesmen observed the guests curiously, talking quietly in a din that echoed through the golden room. Waiting for them on a raised platform was an old and wise-looking man atop a grand throne who was obviously Lord Mikado. Sitting beside him on a throne almost as elegant was a young woman in blue and white robes and with an incredible beauty, eyes almost shut. Royal guards stood to either side of them in red dragon-helmed armor, vigilant.

"So, you have come from the land where the sun sets," Mikado spoke up in perfect Valuan, his old rumbling voice seeming to fill the room with his warmth and nobility. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Yafutoma. I, by the grace of the Blue Moon, hold dominion over the lands, and defend the people."

"I am Vyse of the Blue Rogues," The pirate said, bowing respectfully before standing up again. His friends all did likewise. "This is my crew. We have come a long way, your Highness, through the Dark Rift."

"The Dark Rift?" He frowned. "You refer to that border of storms to our West, the thing that has made contact with your people impossible forever... you have come through it? Incredible. This is my daughter, Princess Moegi. She has always been interested in the West; haven't you, my dear?"

She smiled, and it was as if a second sun had arisen. All the air pirates took a second look at her. "Yes, Father. Please, I would love to hear all about your homelands..." Aika smirked. _She's so shy, quiet, reserved, and pretty... looks like Fina's got competition in the 'innocent' department_... "And if there is anything we can do for you, please ask."

"Sure, but we don't want to be too much of a burden," Aika winked at her, and the princess wasn't quite sure how to interpret that, coloring slightly.

"_Aika, please refrain from flirting with the monarchy. You're going to get us keelhauled_," David said aside in a very low whisper to the redhead, who did a mini-pout, all invisible to the observing nobility of the foreign land. "_I like my keels un-hauled, thanks_."

Kangan, one of the most trusted of the Yafutoman King's advisors, spoke up and stepped forward. "My Lord, as a most humble of your servants, I must object to the idea of foreigners entering our lands. We should cleanse them at once." David cocked an eyebrow. _Genocidal... and he didn't use Yafutoman, but deliberately made us hear his threats... hm_.

"I agree with my father, Lord." Muraji was the spitting image of his father, with his long and fierce features and unpleasantly scheming eyes. They even wore identical robes with a scale-mail chest plate and long flowing sleeves and legs. "Westerners can only bring desolation to our blessed lands with their heathen beliefs. We should have them eliminated."

Aika sent both of them her very best glare, and Vyse felt very sorry for the boy as he shrank behind his father and began to shiver. The redhead's gaze promised an incalculable agony before final horrible death and dismemberment.

The air pirates had no reason for concern, however, as Mikado rejected such a concept out of hand. "Ridiculous. They are honored guests of Yafutoma, and we can learn from and teach them a great deal. Kangan, you overstep your authority." Both of the advisors withdrew now as if lashed Huskras, and he turned back his attention to the Blue Rogues. He paused for a moment. "... However, I would like to know why you assumed such great risk to reach our domain."

"We are on a quest," David replied without hesitation. "Our crew is collecting six Moon Crystals so that our enemies can't use them to destroy the entire world. We have reason to believe the Blue Moon Crystal lies within Yafutoma somewhere."

"Blue Moon Crystal?" Mikado snapped his weathered fingers. "Hm... perhaps you refer to the Maga Sphere. It is an ancient relic of our civilization that holds the powers of Wind and Water almost as much as the Blue Moon itself. It lies in a holy place under Mount Kazai, and has for a thousand generations, since The Cataclysm. Before then, our ancestors passed it down the line of royal succession as a symbol of the will of the Blue Moon and the righteous charge of the King and Queen."

"Sounds like our Blue Crystal," Vyse nodded. "Things are finally looking up. Your Majesty, we wish to take this Maga Sphere with us on our journey to prevent the enemy from gaining it's power."

"Hm... take it with you?" Mikado's expression darkened slightly. "It is an ancient and beloved holy relic of the Blue Civilization before Yafutoma, Vyse of the Blue Rogues, and a national treasure..." He sighed. "I require time to ponder this. However, the matter is moot without knowing where it is. There are no known passages directly into the mountain, and nobody has ever gotten near it for eons."

Vyse smirked. "Doing the impossible happens to be our mission statement, Lord Mikado. Don't worry, we'll find a way to get it. And if you don't want us to take it... then we won't." He shook his head. _It's going to be real trouble if we can't convince them. Oh, well, one thing at a time_.

"Very well. I will send word to the ship parts merchant near the docks to prepare his boat, as I am told that your '_Delphinus_' cannot achieve the same heights as Yafutoman designs. Until you are ready to go, I insist you stay in Yafutoma in the guest houses in the back of the Palace complex." He smiled slightly through his eminent gray mustache.

"Alright," David nodded. "While we're out on the expedition or relaxing in the city, we can get some refits done. I'd love to see how Yafutoman tech would boost our ship's stats." They bowed again to Lord Mikado and made their way from the Royal Throne Room and out of the palace.

Yafutoma's capital city was on several levels connected by ramps and small floating elevator platforms that reminded Vyse strongly of the mystical floating pads in the ruins of Rixis. Freely flowing waterways conveyed small tub boats to and fro carrying citizens along faster than they could walk. The bustle of many people moving around the wide stone streets and drawbridges drew them along.

"Vyse, I'd like to check out the local shopping scene," Osman spoke up in an aloof tone, glancing around at the foreign environment. "If I can buy exotic goods here for low prices and sell them back home... we'll turn an amazing profit margin!"

He chuckled. "Go for it, Osman. You're the money expert." The portly lady broke with the group, heading down a boulevard into the main market district. "So, where should we go first?" He asked the others. "This place is so amazing, I'd love to explore it all!"

"I'll get up to the _Delphinus_ and bring more of the crew with me," David nodded. "I think everyone deserves a little time on solid ground after the Dark Rift. I'll fix the arrangements for the guest-houses too, just swing by when you're all done to the Palace, and bring the _Delphinus_ alongside one of the ports so we can start work." With that the Vice Captain started up for the docks district of the city.

"Now that the big kids are off taking care of all the thinky-think, let's go." Vyse grinned and the girls giggled, following him. They went around the city, meeting various local residents who were more than happy to take time out and talk to the Westerners. Most of them greeted them kindly but some acted cold and short for some reason, and they continued moving down the city tiers.

The ramps led them towards the sound of distant and heavy hammering, and, curious, the air pirates decided to take a look. A Yafutoman woman of about twenty years was hard at work with a set of tools, thundering away at a construction site with bare timber frameworks and raw material piles around a plot of land.

She looked up at their approach. "_Konnichiwa_. You're the Westerners, right? I can tell from the hair."

"Yeah, we're just relaxing until we can get our ship fixed and we get back underway... you're a builder, right? I could tell by the hammer." He crossed his arms and smirked. "We've been looking around at Yafutoma, too."

"What do you think?" The builder put down her tools, taking a break and sitting on a pile of timbres. "I'm Kirala, the best builder in the entire city. I designed a lot of more modern structures throughout the town, and help with maintenance on ships, too."

"Everything is beautiful here," Aika gushed. "All of the buildings are so different, but in a good kinda different, you know? I'm Aika, that's Vyse, and Fina."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kirala smiled. "Hm... you know, I heard that your metal airship isn't running at full power anymore. Got banged up pretty badly coming through the Storm Wall to the West?"

"Oh, yeah," Vyse sighed. "We're looking around for... builders... you looking for a job?"

"Looking to sail the world, and you look like the person to get it done." Kirala nodded. "I'll help repair your ship, no charge, on two conditions. First one- I get to join up with your crew. I've been stuck at home too long, anyway, and some adventure can do me good. I also want to check out architecture in the West."

"Sounds good so far," Vyse shrugged. "The second condition?"

"I have a sister named Urala who works at a diner down the street. I'd like you to take her on as a cook, too, so she can come with us. She's fancied sailing ever since she was little, but our ships never go out enough to warrant employing a full-time cook, and she's too delicate for other kinds of ship operations. Deal?"

"Deal," Aika nodded. "Fina, isn't this great? With such a great builder helping us we'll have the ship ready to rock in no time, flat!"

Fina blinked. "Um... excuse me, Miss Kirala... aren't you in the middle of building this structure?" She looked around at the almost barren wooden framework of the construction site and the mountains of tools and materials.

"Heh. This is my own home. I was doing some remodeling, but looks like that won't be much of an issue for me anymore. I'll start work tomorrow at the docks, Captain."

"Hm..." Vyse's stomach began to growl angrily. "I just realized we haven't eaten a single thing since dinner yesterday before we exited the Rift... ugh... you said that Urala works in a diner, huh? Show the way, please." His monster appetite for foods was about to meet the exotic pallet of a Yafutoman.

They entered the fairly homely establishment, and Urala chatted with the old shop owner in Yafutoman for a minute or two. Despite the spread of Valuan languages through some Yafutoman circles, most of the people of the Blue Lands could not understand the Westerners and relied on translators. Urala was a beautiful young teenage girl who blushed and looked away from the foreigners and didn't know a single Valuan word. Kirala placed their orders and they all sat down at a table.

When the waitress returned with their meals, Vyse made a face. "What is this stuff... it's covered in brown liquid... I'm not sure I want to try this..."

Kirala chuckled. "Vyse, that's soy sauce, a traditional topping of my country. It's not anything untoward, I promise it's good." She smiled at Urala and said something to her, to which she declined hastily, but the builder wheedled her until she agreed and quickly left. "Well, she's in. Don't mind her shyness, she's like that to everyone, especially strange people like you all. Maybe someone could teach her some Valuan, it would make it a lot easier."

"I could do it," Fina suggested. "I was trained in many languages, including modern Yafutoman..." The Silvite smiled gently.

"_What_?" Aika frowned. "You mean you could translate all along and kept quiet? And don't tell me I didn't-"

"But Aika, I never remember you asking me-"

"-Forget it." The redhead fell onto the table in exasperation, and Vyse and Kirala laughed at her bemusement. Once he actually tried it, Vyse found that he did indeed like Yafutoman cuisine, and was soon shoveling down bowls and plates of every variety of food the restaurant could produce. While both of the girls were used to this leviathan of a vice, Urala watched in a mix of awe and fear as he ripped through his tenth massive plate and began demanding more.

"... How long can he keep this up?" The builder asked Aika quietly.

"Hours," The redhead sighed. "But maybe we'll get lucky..." An enormous burp interrupted them, and Aika couldn't contain a fit of giggles even as Fina looked horrified at the unkempt behavior. "... Relatively lucky. Vyse, you done?" Vyse nodded. "Alright..."

Robinson entered the establishment, the rescued sailor looking much better today and carrying himself upright again as a man. His eyes fell upon his friends and he smiled, waving. "Hey, guys. David sent me... it's a long walk down those ramps, for a man ain't used to much movin'."

"I'd think so." Vyse nodded. "What's up?"

"He just wanted you to know that the preparations for the rooms are set up, and we've put the _Delphinus_ alongside one of the smaller islands and set up a dock facility there for repairs."

"Alright, thanks." The teenager looked over at Kirala. "Tomorrow we start working for real." _Once the ship is repaired we can set out for Mount Kazai, and maybe finally get back on track to saving the world._

_Maybe_.


	6. Third Crystal

Chapter Six- Third Crystal

The _Delphinus_ was going to prove a challenge to anyone who intended to make it sky worthy. A visual scan alone revealed that most of the ship's extensive armor plating was beaten and damaged, and the maneuvering fins and running lights were simply gone. Several gun batteries had gone out of alignment from the air pressures in the Dark Rift. The remnants of a blue paint job clung fleetingly to the gunmetal hull like bloody scars. The prow of the ship was bent almost in a neat U-shape, and the delicate Moonstone Cannon inside had been rendered inoperable, in addition to it's magnetic coils being blasted by Anguila poison. Approximately half of the ship's propellers mounted aft of the ship were gone, and the other half were unstable and ripped into, and it was a mystery how they had held the ship up for so long with less than half of their horsepower. The internal frame of the ship was also badly stressed and required reinforcement, and operating in such a high-powered way for two straight weeks had almost irreparably damaged the main power plant. All of this was also compounded by the fact that she knew next to nothing about Valuan airship design or technology, and only spoke it as a secondary language.

Kirala, however, enjoyed a challenge. She called it an opportunity to show off her genius yet again to the world. This time, if she succeeded, she might actually get such a chance. The _Delphinus_ sat like a heavily wounded bird on a large landing slab mounted on one of the Yafutoman capital's tertiary islands, completely immobile. Tracking her eyes across it she let out a whistle. "You Westerners really don't take care of your ships."

"What can I say?" David shrugged. "We had to fight an enemy task force, then cross the most dangerous and powerful storm in the history of the world. I'm surprised it's actually still mostly in a single piece- no other ship could have even survived what we've been through." _The_ Claudia_'s a fine sailboat, but she would have been lost in the first day of Dark Rift travel. If we survived another run-in with Gregorio, heh_.

"_Itoshii_," The builder sighed. "Alright, let's get to work. We should repair the ship's critical systems first- generator, engine, and the cannons. After that we'll reinforce or replace the hull frame, put an entirely new layer of armor on while peeling off the destroyed former suit, and twist the ship back into it's proper shape. Finally we can put back new fins, running lights, and maybe a fresh coat of blue paint." She looked around. "Think I'll need some help for this..."

"No worries. I'll contact Lord Mikado, I'm sure he'd be happy to help, if only because his engineers can poke around inside of our miraculous flying slab of steel," David said in nonchalance, and brought the skiff closer. The metal boat was approaching it's mothership, most of her crew having already cleared out to the city which floated above them serenely.

With the help of the ship's crew and Yafutoman engineers, Kirala began repairs. In the first day she had surprisingly few difficulties repairing the generator and cannons, most of which required only some metal work. Metals, while not impossible to find, were not common in Yafutoma, and seeing as how only strong metal alloy would do, increasingly it was difficult to come across materials to continue.

Enrique had managed a full recovery the day after the fight, and only the minor trace of scars under his royal tunic and jacket indicated he had ever met the Tenkou. He was understandably eager to get groundside, as although he was mostly over his airsickness by now, the operative word he stressed was _mostly_. Vyse and Aika were happy to show him around the city, and he was amazed at the sophisticated culture of the new part of the world to him.

Yafutoman culture idealized calm balance and intellectual pursuits, a welcome break from the heady air of Valua, the survival test of Nasr, or the rough frontier of the Air Ocean islands. The crew had taken to native dress well, and Vyse was easily adjusting to the scale-mail plating of a Yafutoma soldier. "It breathes," He said. "I tried on Valuan armor once... that doesn't breathe. This feels light, not like I'm wearing a metal coat at all..."

Fina nodded. "This culture's style of warfare is quicker and much faster. Their ideal is the _shinobi_, a shadow warrior of deception and quick, lethal strikes. Um... or so I've heard from people." She looked away, her naturally peaceful nature panging her conscience for intentionally seeking out ways people hurt each other.

Enrique was about to offer his own comment when he abruptly stopped walking, his gaze fixed to his side. The air pirates curiously followed his gaze down the street. Princess Moegi and a royal escort of guards and aides was moving towards them. "Princess," Vyse smiled. "What's up?"

"I was merely coming out for some fresh air from the Palace... I don't believe I have made your acquaintance," Moegi said, politely bowing to Enrique.

"I am... Prince Enrique, of the Valuan Empire," The blonde said, blinking and looking down to return her bow. "It is an honor to meet you, your Highness."

She put her long white and blue sleeves up to her face and giggled quietly. "Please, Prince Enrique, no more than it is I to meet a member of a Western royal family. Your companions have told me something of you."

"We made sure to mention how you were chuckin' Polly's cooking off the rail of the _Delphinus_ until about a week ago," Aika smirked cleverly. The lanky prince paled significantly before his face began to fill with bright red. _Aika, how could you do that! She's probably revolted with me!_ Although his stomach churned for different reasons altogether now, he noticed the princess in front of him only giggled louder at this announcement.

"They also told me how you faced the Tenkou so bravely and shielded your friend from harm," Moegi said graciously. "I must be moving on, as my schedule is regrettably full, but I would love to meet you again, Prince Enrique. I am eager to learn more about your culture and peoples."

"As would I, Princess," Enrique said graciously, smiling in that nervous and kind manner that endeared him to many. Moegi soon moved on, and passed out of sight beyond one of the grand stone and wooden Yafutoman buildings. Enrique watched her go, in silent thought. _She's so beautiful and graceful... this land truly is amazing_.

Vyse and Aika exchanged a single covert, knowing look before continuing along their tour of the city. They met the ship parts dealer, who informed them that his ship was ready to go whenever the expedition could be sent out and that he would love to help them re-outfit the _Delphinus_ with Yafutoman technologies.

"I still can't believe you told the Princess I was airsick for a month," Enrique sulked. "You're all terrible. I should have turned you in to Uncle Gregorio at Cape Victory."

"Aw. I'm sure you don't really mean that," Vyse smirked. "Besides, if we'd all been drawn and quartered, who'd be left to save the world? And you'd still be stuck in the Imperial Capital getting yelled at by Mother dearest for having a soul. You know how she hates that."

Even though the air pirate had just said something that would have gotten his tongue cut off in Valuan sovereignty, the prince still laughed at it._ I still have hope that one day she'll turn things around, but I guess by the fact that I'm here and not there I don't think that's very likely to happen_... "Oh, Vyse, just because she's a tyrant who wants to crush the world in her fists doesn't make her a bad person. And that's my mother you're talking about! I'll just have to behead you now, rogue."

Vyse winked. "Yeah, go ahead and try it... Say, feel like becoming useful and joining the expedition to Mount Kazai? We aren't expecting any problems since there are very small monster populations in the whole area according to the ship merchant, but... well..."

"What we expect and what takes place ain't ever been similar," Aika supplied idly. "Besides, the Yafutomans have been working for a hundred generations at this. We've been here two days."

"I guess that means we're ten thousand times better than them," David's voice floated in from a ramp leading to a higher level of the city where the docks were situated, even as the Vice Captain made his way towards them. "I was coming to talk about that with you, Captain. The merchant says his boat can bring six of us and himself, but no more. Frankly I think six is stretching it, but you'll need the firepower."

The teenager nodded. "Aika, Fina, Enrique, you're all going to come with me. Hm... David? I know you're not much for personal risk, but how about it?"

"Meh," David shrugged. "I don't think I'd do real well. I found some Yafutoman gun designs that can fire multiple rounds and reloads with magazines instead of single shot, but I'm still not all that athletic for a pirate."

"How about Luke and Rodgers?" Aika asked. "They're our old friends, it'll be just like a raiding expedition in the past!"

Fina nodded. "I don't know Luke or Rodgers very well, but they've been on our crew for a while now and they seem very dependable... they grew up with you as childhood friends with the Blue Storm, right?"

"Correct," Vyse said. "Luke's a little worse than me at fighting but he's more balanced magically, and Rodgers can dish it out just like Aika when it comes to magic."

"I'll get them from the Palace guest houses and let them know," David said. "By the way, we've finished the first stage of repairs. Kirala says at our current pace it'll take two full weeks to refit the ship back to former stats, and that's if we can find enough materials, which is doubtful. Maybe you should just go and let us work. We're not going to be using the _Delphinus_ anyway, when the Yafutomans can travel higher in their own craft."

"Two weeks?" Aika sighed. "The only thing that even comes close to the Dark Rift is when we crossed South Ocean in the Little Jack about three months ago, but even then, we were only en route about two days and the ship didn't get more than a ruined paint job. We've already had to repair the ship twice."

"Saving the world is a risky business," David replied. "I'm just happy we haven't suffered any casualties yet, we've been incredibly lucky in our brushes with fate so far." He paused. "Ah, Moons, if I was a superstitious idiot I'd point out that I just jinxed us." David looked to Enrique severely. "You're gonna be the first one to go."

The prince sighed in mock-exasperation. "All the commoners are uniting against me. It's a peasant revolt, I say." He grinned. "You all are really giving me an odd sense of humor." _Back home there's never much cause for humor_.

"When shall we leave to retrieve the Blue Moon Crystal?" Fina asked quietly.

"Tomorrow, after breakfast," Vyse said. "So, for now, we should split up and buy weapons and equipment for the expedition, and get lots of rest. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but if our luck holds out all the Valuan admirals will be waiting for us, each of whom has a Gigas as their personal pet, and several Piastol clones. So, you know, look for that." With those words they parted ways on the streets of Yafutoma, separating into the sporadic crowds of foreign citizens.

0-0

The breakfast had been a hearty one, as Polly and Urala combined their talents and cultures to create a rainbow of food options. After thoroughly gorging themselves, most of the crew prepared for another day's hard work of repairs upon the _Delphinus_, while Vyse and his team headed out for the city docks, where the ship merchant was awaiting them.

With a large, stocky build and homely attitude, the merchant, whose name was Kaoru, soon put the pirates at ease. As their small Yafutoman airship climbed higher into the clouds, he said, "There's some headache medication in the storage hold, in case the pressure gets to ya too much." Yafutomans, having almost no contact with the Green Moon, had devised alternative methods of healing, such as using medicinal compounds. Although medicines existed in Valua, Nasr and the Mid Ocean states, it was a primitive sort, mostly abandoned since the advent of the miraculous Sacri line of spells.

"Thanks," Vyse replied. "We've only been this high once before, and that was back in Ixa'taka." The teenager made a face. "At least we aren't going to be chasing anymore ghosts this time." He turned ominously to Aika and said in his best creepy voice, "Or... maybe they'll be chasing us. Brouhaha- ow!" He fell over, taking a trip courtesy of the_ S.S. Annoyed Aika_.

"Shut up," The redhead growled. "You know how I am about ghosts." The ship rumbled a little as it's fins pushed harder against the thinner air. The huge smooth surface of Mount Kazai was closing in on them, the lines of striated ice spiraling up into the furthest cloud layers. "This mountain is so tall... no wonder it's iced over."

"Kazai used to be an active volcano in the time of the Old World," Kaoru said, looking up from his helm controls in the pilothouse. "Legend says that the Purple Gigas, Plergoth, was fighting with Bluheim and one of his icy blasts hit the volcano, turning it forever to ice. That's just tall tales, I think, though. Probably just cause the Maga Sphere's been in here so long, and water does freeze up high."

"From what we've seen of the Gigas so far, that's probably the right sense of scale," Vyse sighed. "So Bluheim is the Blue Gigas, right? What did it look like?"

"See for yourself in a few minutes," The dealer replied. He looked over to find they had finally surmounted the mountain, and were hovering directly over it's funneling top. "We're going down." The Yafutoman transport began to descend, passing clouds of vaporous mist through the sparking tunnel of glass. With each meter they went down the passage went wider, until they were near the bottom and it was an enormous chasm filled almost completely with chilled water.

A small island of solid rock floated directly in the middle of the lake within Kazai, and the ship gently landed in the water beside it. A large craggy dome led out to a smooth platform of stone that looked man-made, and Kaoru dropped the ship's anchors there to keep it in place. He was the first to debark, standing on the stone and beckoning for the air pirates to follow.

"Amazing," Rodgers said, looking around. "This place is like nothing... what the Moons is that?" She pointed to one of the mountain ice walls, and to their surprise they found an enormous figure perched there.

The figure was one of stone, mighty and yet immobile. It looked like a bird, its mighty wings spread out against the wall and each detail of it's many cold feathers perfectly rendered. Its long segmented neck looked folded like Yafutoman sails, and its small head featured a sharp and prominent beak. The entire stone statue appeared a dull silver rock color, but in many places had been tarnished with darker grays or even black hues. In the almost still water of the mountain, its reflection sat perfectly under it, making the statue look like it was a double-sided creature and enhancing its already formidable appearance.

"Bluheim," Fina breathed. "The Blue Gigas. Crafted by the precursors to Yafutoma to answer the other nations' superweapons, it controls Wind and Water. The creature can fly like natural birds do... Vyse, after the Rains of Destruction, Bluheim was entombed and fossilized deep within the mountain. If the Gigas wakes up... it will be the most difficult fight yet."

"Then the sooner we secure the Blue Crystal, the better," Vyse glared up at the enormous superweapon, seemingly frozen in time and place. "And you can stay where you belong, Bluheim. Buried."

"This is as far as I go," Kaoru said. "I'm no adventurer, but I'll hold position here and await your return. You ever want to go back, just ask. And good luck, guys."

"Thanks," Luke nodded. "It's cold in here..." For someone used to the perennial balmy weather of Mid Ocean, the air inside Mount Kazai was almost freezing, and each time anyone exhaled they saw the puff of warmed oxygen moving outwards like a Valuan steam engine.

Enrique had been silently evaluating Bluheim, but now stepped up in front of the group and drew his new Yafutoman blade. It was a light and long weapon called a katana, designed for a similar battle style as his rapier, but it was balanced to do more damage, and had native enchantments for speed and cutting cold. He led them into the opening in the rock done, and down a long sloping tunnel of chilled stone.

They emerged into a large man-made room of dark blue stones that led down a lit hallway. The torches mounted to the walls were enchanted with blue flames and had most likely burned for untold ages. "If this is like the Temple of Pyrynn, we should be on our guard for traps," Aika advised. "I hope there aren't any, like, boulders of ice here or anything..."

"Apparently people from the Old World built this shrine to hold both the Gigas and it's source of power and control, the Blue Moon Crystal," Enrique said. "If that is so, then yes, it should be like Nasr's ancient temple."

"We'll be fine," Vyse said as they passed through the tunnel and into a much larger room. The story they were on was a large walkway around the square-shaped place. A long shaft plunged downwards into darkness and several levels below them, while above them lingered two more layers of stone walkways. All of it echoed their footsteps as they looked around. Sitting right before them was a block of stone crafted to hold a large, rectangular and faintly glowing blue crystal.

On pure instinct, Luke reached out to touch it, and drew his hand back sharply as it let out a melodic note and shined brighter. "What the..." The stone shook and depressed itself into it's holding block, and the rush of water filled their ears without warning. Below them, vents opened up, admitting enormous jets of water that began to fill up the bottom of the chasm. It stopped before long.

"These must be switches controlling the release of water," Fina said. "We should find all of the switches." She reached into a pouch on her Yafutoman robe, called a yukata, and retrieved several small masks. "These are what Yafutomans call 'Rebreathers'. They allow you to breathe water, which will aid us in passing sections sunk below the depths." She passed one out to each member of the party, who tried them on and then put them away.

"Good thinking, Fina." Vyse looked around. There were three possible doors- one directly on the other side of the chasm, and one to the left or right on the walkways. "Hm... since we have no idea where we should go, I guess we'll just pick at random. I choose... right!" Taking the right path, they passed through another network of winding hallways and tunnels.

He was about to comment on the lack of any monsters, when he was abruptly proven wrong. The room ahead held ten rectangular holes in it's floor cut out and all with ramps leading into the water on the level below. Incidentally, several creatures were also in the room, and turned around, noticing the entrance of human beings.

Each of the five monsters looked like large deformed salamanders with deep aqua skin and a large, bulbous chin and neck. They shifted about nervously on the stone floor, and began to approach the humans, growling aggressively. Everyone raised their weapons and prepared for battle, Rodgers and Fina backing up while the men and Aika stepped forward.

"Let's see if this works," Rodgers sighed. "Moons, Give Me Strength!" Glowing red circles appeared around each air pirate and began to cast bloody illumination across them. The air around them shifted and warmed, vapor clouds swirling into the high vaulted ceiling. Incremus, the advanced stage of the strengthening spell Increm, was something only highly skilled magical adepts attempted.

Everyone gasped as new strength flowed through them. It was like a magical adrenaline rush, and everyone felt almost invincible now and imbibed with courage. "Hell yeah!" Luke rushed forward, closing the distance instantly with the nearest monster and brought his red blade up. Slashing in a simple sideways cut, he chopped the creature's large head off and leapt back into formation as blood began to spray out.

The three remaining creatures all replied as one, coughing up a cloud of small ice crystals and spitting them out like bullets. The crystals pelted them, and they took a step back in surprise at the pain and cold. Several small wounds appeared on the pirates before the attack ended, but nothing critical had been done. "It appears as though they simply haven't the power," Enrique observed, twirling his katana and stepping up. The other followed suit, and Aika let fly her enhanced boomerang. The weapon arced through the air, knocking one of the monsters into a nearby wall with a sickening thump before returning to its owner.

Their blade work made moments' work of the other creatures, and all the hostile monsters had handily been defeated. "That wasn't so tough at all," Vyse observed. "These are just the small fries, though. Further down they probably get a lot stronger." He looked around for a door to continue as he holstered his Dream Cutlasses, but saw only solid wall.

"Maybe we should go down," Fina suggested, pulling out her Rebreather mask and equipping it, taking a few raspy breaths through the apparatus. The air had a slightly odd tinge to it, but it was definitely alright to inhale.

Aika snorted. "She finally says it. Hey, that's not a bad idea for later, now is it? Heh heh." With such lecherous thoughts turning Fina so red she might have melted the mountain down upon them, everyone else put on their own breathing gear. Vyse made sure to defend Fina with a glare to the redhead.

Incremus' effects turned Fina into a mighty swimmer, even though she was usually very weak at it, as there was not a lot of water in the Great Silver Shrine to practice in. With Cupil orbiting her, morphed into a tiny torpedo-tube with flapping fins, she followed the others into the water with a light splash. The chill would have shook her to her bone, but the warmth of the strengthening spell repelled all efforts at disrupting her internal balance and kept her going.

They passed into a large submerged chamber, all sounds dim and padded with the water around them. The pirates formed up into a tight group, and she was in the middle of the formation for safety. Soon they located a small dais on the side with a switch identical to the first one, and Enrique touched it with his glove. Silently it brightened quite a lot, and retreated into it's holder, kicking up pockets of air into small bubble rings around it.

Vyse glanced to each of them and pointed to an opening in the wall to to the side. They swam in that direction, and reached the stone doorway. Suddenly, three objects shot out at them, and Luke barely missed being directly hit. They exploded behind them, kicking up enormous clouds of smoke in the water and shaking the fluid around. In alarm, Aika spotted a flash of brown up ahead before it vanished. _Someone else is here!_ Unable to speak, she gestured towards the door, and Vyse got the message.

They moved out, floating upwards in the hallway until they reached the end of the tunnel, and dry land again, even if it was ice. Ripping off her Rebreather, Aika gasped in fresh air gratefully. "Damn, that machine smells bad! Vyse, someone shot those at us, I don't think it was a trap set here all along."

"Who could possibly be here?" Luke asked. "We're supposed to be the first ones trying this in a really long time. Probably just your over-active imagination, Aika."

"Damnit, why do people never believe me? And I'm right about it, too," The redhead complained.

"Assuming Aika is correct," Enrique started diplomatically, "Then we must consider- who would ever come here, and how did they get here? We saw no other ships around or inside the mountain's water entrance. However, either way we must proceed with increased caution. If that was a trap there will most assuredly be more ahead." He drew his katana again. "I'll take the point and use my shield to protect me from any more explosions."

Enrique drew in a breath and brought his blade up to his face. "May Righteousness Be My Shield," He said in a commanding tone worthy of a monarch, "Shield of Justice!" A semicircular shell of yellow light formed in the air in front of him almost like a large tower-shield. "With this we can go through traps safely."

"Way to take charge, Enrique," Luke nodded in approval. "Plus this way if the shield does fail, I'll be near the back of the group and probably survive." He drew his translucent red pirate cutlass, having opted to retain his very familiar weapon instead of getting a new Yafutoman sword.

They continued up a set of ice-tunnels, with long slick floors and stalactites sticking out like spikes around them. The Incremus spell continued powering them, and Fina caused the water in their clothing to evaporate and dry themselves off again, so the cold was highly tolerable. They came to a former fork in the tunnels where one side had collapsed in, and from the other drifted a faint but rhythmic chinking sound.

Everyone instantly tensed up, crouching and walking forward slowly, on their guards. The tunnel ended in a small room with another doorway on the other side, and an iced-over treasure chest sitting in the middle of the stones. Working at the ice with a large steel pick was a man dressed in the brown full-body uniform that by now had become sickeningly familiar to Vyse.

"Zivilyn Bane," Enrique gasped. "H... how did you get here?!"

"Yafutomans made excellent pilots when you have a blade at their throats," The thick, gravely voice of the man before them replied, and he looked over, his face shielded by blood-red goggles. "Prince Enrique, Vyse the Daring... how convenient. Empress Teodora wants you both... alive, or, Moons forbid, dead. The price is rather high. Enough to kill for." He tossed the pick aside, drawing a scimitar enchanted with purple moonstones.

"I don't think so!" Aika stepped forward before anyone could react, and raised her boomerang. This narrow space is the perfect place to try my new move... "Feel the burn! Gamma Flare!" Her boomerang caught fire, and she shook it, sending a small ball of flaming magical energy into the room. It hit the far wall and split in half, zooming off twice as fast, and a chain reaction began, the fire cutting lines of scorches into the Zivilyn Bane. Although the man dodged some, as the number increased he took more hits.

A spider-web of tiny sparks bounced around the room, and the man cried out, dropping his weapon as blood began to flow downwards on to the stones. The attacks faded out, and soon the room was emptied of Aika's fire. They thought he was defeated, but he pulled out a grenade from his belt and tossed it with all of his strength.

She leapt behind Enrique's shield just in time to escape the destructive blast that decimated the stones and melted nearby ice, splashing boiling water around. The Bane charged forward, swinging his sword into the shield and attempting to break through. Enrique was steadfast, reinforcing the Justice Shield and opposing him. "You're going to pay for that," The man hissed in a promise.

"And you're going to rot in Deep Sky," Rodgers retorted, leaping above Enrique with her twin Silver daggers and landing behind the Bane. He was barely able to turn in time, but parried the smaller blades. Sparks shot out of her daggers, as the deadly enchantments spoke up but did not find a living target. The Zivilyn Bane struck back, but she rolled out of the way. Luke stepped up and tossed his sword right for him.

This was an unexpected attack, and the Bane was glanced on the side. The red moonstones of Luke's sword made him gasp as the brown suit caught on fire before he could slap it out, which only agitated the bloody gash within. In reaction he tossed a kunai, a throwing-knife of Yafutoman build, out in a counter attack.

The kunai struck the unarmed Luke almost in the center of the chest, and he gasped, knocked back even as a spurt of his blood flowed into the air. Rodgers gasped, running to him as he coughed and gingerly reached for the knife's handle. Vyse stepped forward and grasped his blades tightly. "No more fucking around," The teenager said. "I'm going to kill you for that, Bane. Fina, Rodgers, get to it!" Fina nodded, joining the other girl and beginning to cast healing magic.

"Oh no, the boy's angry." The thief chuckled. "I'm so terrified. What are you going to do? Cuss at me?" He parried a flurry of blows from him, each one quicker and more intense. Their sword fight echoed through the tunnel. "You're all weak, and I am strong... and that's why I'm going to bring your skulls to Valua on a platter!"

Luke coughed, and managed to speak up, the Incremus spell allowing him extra strength, "If you're so strong how come a girl landed so many hits on you before we started, hm?"

"Silence," The Bane hissed, turning with murderous intent on the girls, who were too busy casing Sacrum spells to notice or defend themselves. Vyse recognized this fatal mistake, and cleaved him almost totally in half, his magical strength driving the powerful Dream Cutlass down the man's spine as a torrent of blood sprayed out over him. With a few twitches, the Zivilyn Bane fell to the icy ground, and Vyse looked over himself.

"Ugh... blood," He wrinkled his nose. "I'll never get used to the blood... I suppose that's a good thing, really." Even though the homicidal assassin was almost the very definition of 'too dangerous to live', he still had pangs of grief after putting him down. "Hey, man, are you alright?" He walked over to Luke, watching the healing progress as they removed the weapon. _Usually removing a stabbing object would be the dumbest thing to do, but with Green Magic to instantly seal a wound, it's common sense_.

"Fine," Luke sighed. "I got careless with that move, is all. Man, this sucks. I didn't want to be the first guy injured... but at least he missed my heart. You'd have found me a grave man, then." He looked over at Rodgers and Fina and smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," Rodgers replied, smiling back at him, care in her eyes. Fina nodded happily and stood up. "All done," The pirate announced. "It won't instantly heal, but you can move, you can fight, Moons, with that Incremus spell still pumping us up I doubt you even feel it much." As soon as she spoke, she paused. "Hm... I feel the effects beginning to wear off... Fina, can you cast it this time? I don't want to use up too much mana."

"Very well." Fina knelt. "Moons, Give Me Strength!" The entire room was bathed in red light as more energy returned to her and all of her friends. Fed by her unique Silvite aptitude the Incremus spell was almost twice as powerful as before. Each person was driven by the magic to a strength almost unheard of before. At first, she questioned why they would keep up such an expensive spell when they were just walking, but then she thought about it and answered her own question. _It might be a long walk, and we should conserve our real strength for the fights to come... plus, without this, I doubt I could swim with everyone else_.

It was a long walk. The winding tunnels of ice held nothing besides the occasional monster groups which proved simple to dispatch, and Enrique had stopped projecting his Justice Shield, as it was taking too much power. Vyse reminded himself that they were inside of an enormous mountain, so they would probably need a better sense of scale.

Finally they arrived exactly where they had entered, in the long chasm with the walkways and the brightly-glowing switch. Vyse sighed. "What a walk. I hope we won't have to do that again." He looked around. "So, right this time?"

"Sure," Aika nodded. She led the way forward, breaking through a thin wall of ice blocking them with a single Pyri spell. The stone hallway twisted twice, then emerged into a room with holes in the floor just like their trip to the other side had revealed. Picking at random, each pirate leapt into a different hole, plunging into the water with their Rebreathers on.

Vyse began to notice something- he was feeling slightly light-headed, and through the uplifting effects of the Incremus spell that meant something was noticeably wrong. He looked around, but it was just his friends floating down in the water until they reached a series of tall platforms, everyone within sight but on different platforms. Putting it out of his mind for the moment, he found the switch on his own platform, slowly float-walking over and pressing it in.

_We don't know how many of these there are, but last time we were in the room the water was higher... if we're going to go down that chasm, I'd rather float down in water than fall two-hundred meters. Even I'm not that crazy_. He smiled, gesturing for the exit, which this time didn't throw any explosives out for them.

He was glad to get the Rebreather off of his face, and inhaled again, the slight fog around his mind clearing. "Hm..." He stared at the mask, but it appeared just a normal device. _I wonder if that's just the filter, or something else_. "Fina, who gave you these masks?"

"A Yafutoman sailor at the docks," Fina replied. "He said they would be of use, and they are..." She began to dry everyone off again with a light Pyri enchantment on their clothing. "Why?"

"It's nothing," He assured her. "Let's keep moving." The twisting icy pathways through Kazai took no less time than before, Aika taking charge to replenish the Incremus spell once again when it started to fade away in mid-journey. "Ugh," He groaned. "I spoke too soon... are we going the wrong way?" There had been an incredible number of forking and branching paths, and with no compass to guide them, it was quite a possibility.

Sometimes he wished that he'd never learned how to speak. It would have made it more convenient when he wanted to complain about something, when the doorway back to the chasm was already in sight. He sighed, swallowing with it his own words and watching Aika grin and shrug. This time, the water level was incredibly high, and it was only a drop of a few feet from a ramp on the other side of the room to the water.

"So... are we going through the doorway, or down?" Enrique crossed his arms. "These switches must have served some sort of purpose... I say descending should be our plan. There must be something down there, otherwise these switches wouldn't be so prominent."

"Agreed." Vyse looked to everyone, equipping his Rebreather. "Well... bombs away!" And with that he leapt off the walkway, making a tremendous splash in the calm and cold waters in the center of the room. Floating steadily downwards in gravity's pull, his fall was constantly abated by the enormous water around him. He looked up, seeing all of the others falling with him, and faint beams of light filtering through the murky depths.

The trip took a while, and his mind wandered to the increasingly uncomfortable feeling his breathing mask was giving him. Each time he inhaled he noticed a minor pang in his head, and he looked at the others. Enrique lightly touched his temples several times, blinking, and Aika's eyes weren't very responsive. _Something is wrong! Shit_!

He tensely waited, trying with all of his strength to keep control of his mind and body as he watched the other slowly start to fall into a comatose state. The last ones left were Luke and he as they gently touched down on the deep bottom of the water, and the two teenagers exchanged looks of pure alarm. Gathering their unconscious friends, they pushed them forward in the water, going up an open tunnel until finally they re-emerged into the air.

Vyse ripped his Rebreather off, gasping and falling to the carved stone floor of the hallway. He coughed several times. "Luke... this isn't right... these masks must be poisoned, or something... you check em out while I try and revive the others." He pulled out Sacri crystals and held one over each person's chest, watching the healing magic filter into their lungs and attack the foreign chemicals infesting them.

Luke sighed and coughed. "Always something... Begone, Magic! Dispel!" He used his own Special Move that Dyne had taught him, and focused on the mask, obliterating all enchantments recently done to the equipment. A fizzling green smoke slowly wafted up as if the Rebreather was on fire, but he knew that signified it was Green Magic being dispelled. "There's only one line of Green spells that... Noxi! Vyse, these masks have been given a faint Noxi enchantment! Slow-acting, so we didn't notice instantly!"

"W-wha?" Enrique opened his eyes, blinking and coughing. "Ugh... my head... Noxi?!" The blonde sat up, looking around. "Are the others alright?" The girls began to faintly stir, cough, and generally regain consciousness.

"Fuck," Aika cursed. "Damnit. Who would poison our masks?! Were they trying to kill us?!"

"Maybe someone was," Vyse nodded. "Remember that real measly advisor and his son? Recommended a little ethnic cleansing on us and ours? I'm thinking he's the anonymous donor of this great technology, via the proxy of some random stooge."

"When we get back to Yafutoma with the Blue Crystal, we should do some investigating," Rodgers recommended, sitting up with a sigh. "Fina, you ok?" Fina was the last one to sit up, and when the Silvite did it, she had to lie back down a moment.

"I will be fine," The pale girl pledged with a faint smile. "I'm not used to Noxi spells... I don't have a natural immunity like some of you might."

"We gotta keep going," Vyse sighed. "Don't give up yet, guys. We're almost there, I can feel it!" He smiled down at all of them. "We'll rest here a little bit, then move out." With that he plopped into the ground and took a small rest, feeling Incremus leave his system. The loss of the potent magic was another thing negatively affecting his body as he experienced Increm Withdrawal. _Ah, yes, the side-effect of such a useful and powerful spell_. Rodgers stopped this by casting it again, reasoning it was better to feel good now and have withdrawals once they were back in the relative safety of the capital city.

Soon all the air pirates had recovered themselves enough to be well for travel, and they set out again up the long ramp that led to a series of staircases. The staircases were populated by monsters, which took a while to fight because they possessed the ability to temporarily turn to iron and create an awe-inspiring defense. Their attacks were weak and slow, though, so the party was fine as they reached the top flight of the ancient masonry stairs.

They reached a balcony overlooking an enormous chasm- below them a stone bridge leading into a large marble room. The waters around the bridge glowed with spectral colors that were quite beautiful and entrancing. A self-powering lift platform awaited them to go down there, and Vyse stepped up first, waiting for everyone to make the single-person vehicle trip.

"Something tells me the Blue Crystal is in there," Vyse said, idly pointing with one of his Dream Cutlasses at the large and impressive dwelling, with tons of ancient writing and paintings carved into the old stone sides. "Let's go..." The ground began to shake. "... Shit."

Everyone crouched down, ready for anything to emerge from the water. Fina squinted, seeing the glowing fluids swirl and bubble up. Floating through it was a large metal structure, roughly round in shape with large sharp spikes at random intervals along it's main body, and a small steel head. The creature stayed in the air with a set of metal fins along it's sides, and with ominous, eternal eyes, stared down upon the intruders.

"Tortigar," Fina said. "Guardian of the Blue Crystal, placed here by the Silvites after Bluheim was sealed off above us... it's made entirely of metal, and can create a defense so strong no weapon can pierce it. Tortigar also has a special nanotechnology which allows him to turn to stone anything he touches..."

"Right, so no touching or attacking it," Luke nodded several times, then blinked. "Um... excuse me? Then how to we propose not getting killed?" The thing slowly turned towards him. "Ah, crap..."

"Ranged attacks," Aika said. "Take this!" She tossed her boomerang, but even with her enhanced strength it glanced off the massive armored shell of Tortigar with a loud clanging noise. It returned to her hand a moment later and she pouted. "Physical attacks are gonna be pretty useless, guys. We should-" She was cut off as the creature suddenly and without warning turned towards her and opened it's mouth.

A gust of tiny ice pellets shot out in a huge buckshot spray, with such force that Aika was knocked off her feet and let out a cry of pain. The creature roared and approached closer, preparing to ram her with it's huge iron shell. A wind strike knocked it slightly back and it turned to see Vyse, ready for a fight. The teenager smirked and backed up, while Rodgers and Fina began to chant identical Pyrum Spells.

Twin funnels of magical flame surrounded it, and it's metal began to heat up, although it had no effect on the creature itself. When the flames cleared it continued on, now more dangerous because it was so blindingly hot that anything it rammed would receive severe burns. "It has no sense of pain," Fina gasped. "We must disable it from the inside..."

Tortigar was over the bridge now, forcing the air pirates into two groups, both of whom were backing down the stone to keep their distance from the slow-moving opponent. "How do we do that... hey, Aika, see that crack between the fin and the shell segment? Think you can pull an Antonio?" Admiral Alfonso's metal abominations had been undone by Aika's flame attacks ricocheting inside their impenetrable armored shells.

"If I can get close enough," She replied. "What's the plan?"

Before he could reply, another blast of ice came, but this time instead of small pellets, the air wasn't frozen until it wrapped around Vyse. It formed into a gigantic prison of ice that encased him like a fossil and prevented all movement. Fina gasped, running to him with a Curia crystal at once even as Tortigar began to draw nearer.

"Fina! Get back!" Enrique leapt out in front, and glared up at the Guardian. _I used up almost all of my power on the Justice Shield.._. "It appears I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way!" He used his katana, slicing powerfully at any fin that dared to approach and keeping the monster at bay for the precious seconds needed to Cure Vyse and get him further back. When the metal turtle-being had become infuriated, it tried to batter the blonde with it's full body but met only air. Ducking at the last second, he tossed himself into the water with a splash to evade being Stoned.

"Let's try with a grenade," Aika suggested. Vyse, who was still coughing and shivering, pulled out one of the explosives like she was doing, and Luke on the other side. They all tossed the devices at the same time, and all three missed the cracks in it's armor, bouncing off before bursting in mid-air and shaking the bridge.

Enrique surfaced, coughing and gasping, only to find Tortigar now wanted him, and it approached quicker than he could swim back to the rock platform. "Oh, dear..."

"Vyse, if that thing Stones Enrique in the water, we'll never lift him out and Cure him in time," Rodgers said. "We have to stop it now!" She began chanting an incantation, and a blue circle appeared under her. "Aika, come here. I'm going to use Weevil to blow a gust of wind and take you really close to that thing so you can Gamma Flare it to oblivion, alright?"

"Two problems... one, the sparks will leave the cracks in the armor and the attack won't work, and two, if you're off by a meter I'm going to end up sleeping with the pretty lights," Aika objected, staying back.

"I could... petrify it with my Lunar powers at the moment you attack," Fina suggested. "It will take great timing, but it's our only option."

Vyse nodded. "Go for it, girls!" Aika stepped up, feeling a large gust of magical wind push her into the chilly air of the chasm. She hurtled almost directly for the retreating monster, and twirled her boomerang. She sent the small spark hurting at the creature, passing it and hitting the water hard with a large splash.

"Moons, Petrify My Enemy," She called out, casting the attack in perfect synchronization. The spark hit the inside of the armor and began to multiply at the second that magical stone began to form a second shell over Tortigar. Trapped in an ever-increasing crossfire of flames in it's internal mechanisms, it fell like a rock with an enormous plunge that kicked up plumes of water to wash over them all.

Aika appeared next to Enrique, whooping loudly. "We did it! Are we bad, or what?"

"We're something," Vyse agreed, reaching out two hands to the water and helping both the Valuan prince and the redhead up onto the stone. "Get dry, and let's go. Our prize waits for us, you know."

0-0

"You have done what none of us have dared dream possible... No Yafutoman has ever gazed upon the Maga Sphere since the time of the Old World!" King Mikado was suitably impressed with Vyse and his crew's achievement, holding high the glowing sphere. "Oh, Captain Vyse of the Blue Rogues, you have done an immeasurable service to my people and me. How can I ever repay you?"

They were in the grand royal throne room again, Princess Moegi also looking with admiration at the Maga Sphere in her father's hands, and the royal court absolutely abuzz. "Well... um..." Vyse rubbed the back of his head. "Like we said earlier, we really need to borrow it for our quest..."

"Hm..." Mikado considered for almost a full minute, in which time the tension in the room grew to unbearable levels. "... Since you were willing to risk all to retrieve it, it must mean so much to you... it is the symbol of succession of my people, though I believe you have proved your worth enough... you may take it when you leave my lands. Until that time I wish to retain it in the Palace, of course."

"Of course." Vyse smirked. "We'll also be needing serious repairs to our airship to continue, of course. Other than that, no reward is needed, my Lord. We were just helping each other out here."

David said, "Well, I guess it's up to me and Kirala then to get everything else done. No worries... Princess Moegi, you're the successor to the throne, right?"

Moegi looked away, her long and silky black hair concealing her troubled face. Mikado faltered slightly. "Um..." He sighed, and the princess remained in a nervous silence. "Well, in any case, thank you for retrieving the Maga Sphere for us!" His aged, wise features shifted into a genial smile. "Although you claim no other reward, we will still hold a grand feast, and you will be our honored guests, of course. Please, until your ship is ready, enjoy our kingdom and it's many wonders and delights!"

Vyse smirked. "Yeah, that's more like it! I can't wait to get some more Yafutoman food..."

The Vice Captain grinned. "We would all be honored to join in the festivities, Lord Mikado. Especially Vyse. He really likes food."

Enrique looked over at Moegi, both because he found her the most interesting thing in the entire room, and also out of curiosity. _That was a really evasive thing to do, Princess... I wonder what's going on here? It's a mystery_...


	7. A Limit Broken

Chapter Seven- A Limit Broken

The sun had just set over the horizon for the people of Yafutoma. A spontaneously generated festival, declared less than ten hours ago, swept across the capital city of the nation. Everyone was abuzz, for their precious and ancient Maga Sphere had been unearthed by the heroic Westerners, and a celebration was certainly in order. In the guest houses, the crew of the _Delphinus_ were all preparing for the party, some with more success than others.

Vyse was going for a fully native look. Trying to tame his unruly mop of brown with gallons of hair products into a manageable level, he removed his skyglass and put it aside. First he put on a dark-blue kimono, then a traditional warrior-class dress, which was called a kamishimo. It involved a sky-blue top with wide, wing-like shoulders, along with a blue hakama, which was worn on the bottom over the kimono and split up to the thigh on both sides. He examined himself critically in the mirror and blinked, putting on a pair of elegantly-carved wooden sandals. "... I look weird."

"I don't know, I think it looks... well, it's definitely real exotic." David had pulled back his mysterious shaggy mess of a hairstyle, revealing a pair of intelligent eyes and a pale face. The black hair sat in a long, thin braid that traveled down his back. He was wearing a bloody red kosode, a short-sleeved tunic, and over that an open maroon uchikake with sleeves that flowed down long past his weathered hands, held together by twin black obi sashes. "I look different."

Enrique had opted for his own native dress for such occasions, and stood before them in elegant white and gold royal coats over a white tunic and long gold-sided pants. His usual purple beret was replaced for a slightly larger silver one with a bronze feather capping the side. The prince's katana sat in a jewel-encrusted leather holster on his gold sash, secure against his hips. He looked a true picture of handsome beauty, and Vyse grinned. "Aiming to impress our fine lil Princess, hm? Gonna get some cultural relations later?"

The dignified monarch blushed red and turned his nose up. "I don't have any idea what you mean, Vyse," He lied. "I would never have such thoughts, no matter how often you have them." David and Vyse exchanged a glance and the teenager elbowed his Vice Captain.

They all stood in the simplistic wooden accommodations provided them by Lord Mikado, waiting for Aika and Fina. All the others were getting ready by themselves or in other groups. Secretly, Vyse was really wondered how Khazim and his men would turn out, their fashion senses being about as good as their diplomacy.

Turning the corner and passing through a sliding door, the girls came into sight. Vyse did a double-take as he saw each of them looking incredibly beautiful, in Yafutoman kimonos and yukatas. Aika was in a relatively tight-fitting bundle of patterned cloth with flames dancing across her surface, the material catching and reflecting the light of several lit torches around them. Her hair was drawn up, with several pins, in a foreign style, and it looked exotically pleasing on her.

Fina wore a sheet of pure, innocent white, the dress flowing over her and onto the floor. Cupil floated beside her, happily surveying the exciting sights. She brushed back a free lock of golden hair and blushed as she noticed Vyse's eyes upon her. David nudged him, and Vyse cleared his throat. "You both look amazing."

"Thanks," Aika nodded, smirking. "Took us a lunar cycle or two to get into these damn dress-things." She wiggled around. "Fina, tell me how you deal with this every day. At least it brings out my inherent beauty and awesomeness even more."

Vyse was taken with a sudden fit of coughs which sounded suspiciously like an indictment of Aika's arrogance. He was rewarded by one of her Glares, and the group set off towards the town square. Torches marked the way along the platformed walkways of the town. "I talked with Lord Mikado about that little enchantment the shit-kickers put on your gear," David spoke up. "They, of course, deny any involvement, and because we can't tie either Muraji or Kangan to the Rebreathers without the soldier who gave Fina them in the first place... we can't do anything."

"We should keep on our guard," Vyse said. "Even if they didn't try to kill us that time, it's obvious they'd love to see us dead. Makes me want to sleep with a dagger under my pillow. Maybe I'll borrow one from Rodgers."

"For now, I think we should try to enjoy ourselves," Enrique counseled. "I doubt anyone will try to act in the middle of a festival, it would be their downfall. Besides, I'm eager to see the 'fireworks' that the Yafutomans brag about."

"Sounds good to me," David said. They approached the middle of town, where a large pool reflected the visage of the hundreds packed within. Nobles and dignitaries mingled with sailors and villagers, all in a state of celebration. Their national treasure, of supreme importance, had been recovered, and they were determined to make the most of it. Nobody was really surprised to discover the Yafutomans could distill loqua, as it was an easy product to make.

"Excuse me," The prince said, loosing himself into the large crowd. A keen observer would have noticed he reappeared near Princess Moegi's large entourage and engaged her in a conversation that lasted for several hours. Formality was the rule, and although they enjoyed each other's company, that stiffness always weighed upon their awkward minds.

The feast was being served now, in the night and the festival air around the town, as was traditional Yafutoman custom. Vyse, like a guided projectile, sought out the enormous buffet tables and attacked them with a zeal that impressed even Aika. Fina wisely declined any loqua, partaking of the foreign delicacies instead.

Just because her friend wasn't drinking didn't mean that Aika couldn't enjoy a few cold ones. She sloshed down the loqua easily, mixing it with her growing appetite. Vyse, remembering the pleasant and hazy results of his last encounter with the sexual redhead and drunken revelry, also drank a cup or three. The loqua of the Yafutoman kind was unique and pleasantly cool. David, sensing a moment of fluff to come, politely removed himself from their company, locating other crew members.

The three friends talked as they sat on a large bench, watching the crowds of people filter around the streets. The multitude of shadows danced with the warm blue illumination around them in an odd and exotic show. Vyse had seated himself between either girl, putting an arm around each and not surprised when they leaned into his warmth. "We're incredible," The teenager spoke up.

"That we are," The redhead admitted. "Been keeping track- five months to the day since we found the beautiful girl in strange clothes aboard a Valuan flagship." Fina colored nicely under the compliment from her lover. "In that time, we have discovered almost half of the world, defeated the Angel of Death and four Valuan admirals, escaped from the Grand Fortress, and stolen the best airship in history for our uses."

"Wonder how we did it," Vyse continued, staring up into the gentle Blue Moon's glow in the night sky. "All of it... so overwhelming."

"We did it because we always knew we could," Aika nodded. "Sure, we have had our doubts and bouts of angst, that's what being human's about. But for the most of it we just kept moving forward, always determined. We're saving the world here." Unusually deep discussion appeared to be a side-effect of the foreign brew. "... Fuck. I'm drunk." She looked over at Vyse and Fina. "Thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Unfortunately, I probably am," Vyse acknowledged idly, refusing to look at either girl, his gaze still fixed upwards. "Fina? We haven't yet, but... for the longest time, I-" An explosion cut him off, and ripped through his mind with the roaring thunder unlike any cannon he had ever heard before. Alarmed, they looked up into the sky, their surprise soon turning to wonder.

Swirling patterns of bright, burning color washed across the air, rockets bursting amid it and sending more light upwards. The night of Yafutoma now played host to the artificial fires which cast unnatural illumination across the entire capital town, reflecting a rainbow in the many pools and canals. As the thunderous fireworks display continued, everyone looked towards it's beauty. To the foreign pirates, the sight was a glorious first. Fina and Aika subconsciously snuggled a little closer to Vyse as they watched the demonstration of chemistry. All lewd thoughts were completely lost in the display.

Piastol leaned slightly on the sturdy wooden rail, her sober eyes reflecting the spectacular hues. Her highly keen senses allowed her to detect Doc's footsteps on the cobblestone, even through the overwhelming din and boom of the explosions. "Amazing, isn't it?" The medic asked with a smile, stepping up beside her.

"Yes, it is..." The former bounty hunter turned towards him. "Doc, I'm... glad I came to my senses before anyone else got hurt. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to see all of this, and be with my 'family' again."

"That's wonderful for an old man to hear," Doc reflected, staring absently into the sky with his hands on the rail. "All this time, I thought you dead... but it was worse than I feared. Vyse and his friends helped me reunite with who I've come to think of as my kids. I wonder where Maria is now?"

The almost mute blonde girl sat with her large Hamachou bird in a silent, shadowed alley, watching the fireworks with awe like the other Westerners. "Picollo, isn't it wonderful?" She asked, her tiny voice almost nonexistent. The bird beside her twittered slightly, flapping it's wings and bouncing several times in agreement.

"Picollo's the bird's name?" Maria looked up in surprise, seeing Piastol standing over her. The smile on the teenager's face was one with knowing sorrow and regret. In reply, she slowly nodded, her hand clenching around the Hamachou's wing. "Do you two mind if I watch the fireworks... with you?"

"... It's ok," Maria said, looking down. Piastol had a seat on the cold stone as though it were a much softer material, gazing up with unchecked wonder. Her awe was tempered only by the slight seed of sorrow, remaining in the back of her mind at all times. As the minutes of intricate explosive displays went on, Maria gradually became accustomed to her silent presence, warming ever so slightly to the new crew member. For some reason, she had a familiar aura about her that the blonde had a hard time identifying. Neither ever said anything for the longest time, content with observing the festivities.

Although the fireworks seemed like they would continue on forever, shattering the world with their might, eventually the royal ships over the city ran out of rockets. As the display came to an end, the enormous billowing clouds of smoke all through the air gently swirled with the wind, filtering around.

"... Awesome," Vyse finally said. "While I would love nothing more than to snuggle with you until the next Rains of Destruction, maybe we should get back to the guest houses at the palace." He was unable to stifle a burgeoning yawn.

Aika giggled. "No stamina, huh? Let's go find Enrique and David. I wonder how His Majesty did with Her Majesty today. Hopefully no vomit involved."

"Hopefully," Vyse acknowledged, standing up with great reluctance. As they walked through the dwindling crowds of Yafutomans, neither girl stayed very far from him, both holding one of his and each other's hands. This was both to serve to keep them from getting separated, and for other various reasons that Aika in her drunken state couldn't help but think about. A lot.

Luckily, it took them no time at all to find Enrique and Moegi talking on one of the city's intricate wooden draw-bridges across a sparkling canal. "Hey," Vyse said, skipping all attempts to be formal. "We're all gonna turn in... how about yourselves?"

"Oh, allow me to escort you back," Moegi offered quickly, giving a slight bow to the pirates.

"Thank you," Fina acknowledged, returning the bow. Aika, Vyse and Enrique exchanged glances and chuckled at the mirror-like reflections of the courteous, beautiful foreign girls. The small group headed for the massive royal palace, through the walkway networks, and quickly arrived at the guest quarters, a set of large buildings housing the _Delphinus_' crew.

"That was some good food," Vyse said, grinning happily. "Some of the best food I've ever had, even including Polly. Don't tell her I said that."

Moegi giggled delicately into her long, soft sleeve. "I am glad to hear that you all enjoyed yourselves tonight. It is the least my people can do to repay you, and Prince Enrique, your company is most exciting. I hope to meet you again soon."

Enrique barely restrained a blush as he looked into her eyes, but a high-pitched, malicious chuckle drew his attention away. "So, the Westerners have a sense of taste, after all..." Everyone turned around, and saw Muraji, the smaller kid of Kangan the royal advisor. He swayed slightly, his eyes half-lidded from the effects of loqua but sharply regarding each of them.

"You!" Aika burst out, balling her fists. "You and your dad tried to kill us in Mount Kazai!"

"As I said before, both me and my father have no knowledge of that," Muraji said, his tone suggesting the total opposite. With a slight mocking bow, he continued, "I came to personally thank you for retrieving the Maga Sphere for us. When it is passed on to me as successor to the throne, me and Princess Moegi will treasure it. Heh."

Moegi narrowed her eyes. "I will never marry you," She denied, shaking her head in a forceful voice so uncommon with the gentle princess. "Muraji, as long as Daigo is alive you haven't got a hope of getting the throne!"

"Ha! Have you forgotten that "Prince" Daigo has been exiled for his crimes? I feel certain such a traitorous man will never rule over Yafutoman lands." It was rubbing salt in a long-held wound, and he knew it. The princess looked down, her resolve fading as her thoughts turned to her brother, who indeed was legally prevented from returning to Yafutoma on pain of death.

"Hey, who in Deep Sky do you think you-" David had arrived, obviously having overheard at least part of the conversation. His indignant demand was cut short, however, as Enrique raised his hand in a gesture.

"I don't know your motives," The Prince said, staring directly into Muraji's hazy eyes, "But this is _not_ how a nobleman treats a lady. If you insist on harassing and insulting her, then you will have to deal with me!" His hand went to the hilt of his katana, still holstered safely to his side.

"You think you can push me around just because you got the Maga Sphere?" Muraji spat on the ground. "You Westerners all just don't get it, do you? In Yafutoma, the situation is always... fluid."

"Only fluid besides water I see here is this puddle of piss annoying the fuck out of me," Vyse growled. "Get moving, Muraji, your prattling's gonna give me a headache." David passed Muraji, putting a hand on Vyse's shoulder to calm him down a bit.

"_He would like nothing better than to catch us striking the first blow_," He said aside, pointedly, to Aika, Enrique, and Vyse, the three people who would love to strike such a blow. "But it's useless," He continued, louder, "Because we aren't going to. Muraji, go tell your father that we're on to him, and his plans will never come to fruition. If you don't have any more women to harass."

The smaller Yafutoman advisor recoiled as if the Vice Captain's words had bitten him, then turned and began to run away, muttering about his father and all the trouble they were going to be in for not showing the proper respects. Moegi stepped forward. "Captain, Vice Captain, Prince, I am deeply sorry for that... you all felt you needed to defend me, and I brought more trouble than you deserved."

"No, it's quite alright," Enrique smiled gently. "Where I come from, there are codes of honor about how a lady such as yourself should be treated... well, honestly, not many people follow that code anymore. That makes it all the more valuable to me, as the crown Prince."

"Prince Enrique..." Moegi trailed off. As they shared a moment of silence, the Air Pirates shared many furtive glances. It was obvious, even to Fina, that there was something more than the cordial bond of royalty to these two.

"However, you two spoke of an exiled prince... Daigo, was it? What was that about?"

Moegi's happiness seemed to instantly turn to ash. "Hm... If you must excuse me, I have other duties to perform before I turn in to my own royal accommodation... Pleasant dreams." With that, she averted her beautiful face and quickly made an exit from them. They watched her go, and Enrique squinted in concentration. _What is this big secret everyone is so worked up about? I must know... but it will take time_.

0-0

Over the next week, the crew was put hard at work. Kirala and David oversaw the work, as teams of Yafutoman builders and the air pirates slowly and steadily set out to repair the _Delphinus_. The Valuan flagship received the most complete of overhauls, it's main reactor altered to increase it's output and endurance, a fresh set of armor plates affixed to it's sturdy hull, and the sensitive magnets used in the Moonstone Cannon fashioned and replaced as the nose was bent back to it's regular shape. Everyone put in their honest effort, and with Yafutoman work-arounds and the scrounging of metal and wood, they almost always had enough raw materials to be constantly working.

By the tenth day of repairs, they were ahead of schedule by many times over. Kirala nodded, looking over the plans scribbled on blue papyrus. "Good, good. Progress is amazing on the ship. There's only one job left- we have to paint this thing." She gestured to the ship, which still laid on it's dock island. However, unlike last time, the _Delphinus_ was whole, artistic and solid, sitting in powerful repose.

"We can get most of that finished today, if we work into dark," David pensively said. He turned towards his teenage captain, who stood beside them.

"The ship will be able to go higher or lower than before," Kirala said, "But it's still nothing compared with our own craft... it's not compatible with Pressure Drive technology, no matter what I try. At least it'll still perform a lot better, and everything's in top shape."

"Hm... let's take along a copy of the Pressure Drive plans," Vyse said. "I have a friend back home who might be able to do better. He's a master shipbuilder. Not that you aren't doing great, but you're mainly a building maker, right?"

"_Hai_," The Yafutoman nodded again. "I'm surprised how alike ships are to buildings... at first I was afraid I'd do it wrong. But I'm fair sure everything's in order."

"We'll be able to leave tomorrow," Fina smiled. "Yafutoma is such an interesting place, but I would prefer if we kept moving. We still only have four of the Crystals, and two remain unsecured."

"Four? But we only have three," Aika interrupted.

"The Silver Crystal is in the Shrine, safe with the Elders," The Silvite explained, "So although we only possess three, a fourth one is within good hands. All that remain are the Yellow and Purple Crystals. I recommend we should seek the Purple Crystal first, as Valua is still a dangerous place to approach."

"I have another question," The redhead spoke up. "How are we going to leave? After all this work fixing the ship up again, we're going to have to go back through the damned Dark Rift, all over again,_ all over again_, just to get out and back to familiar skies."

"Not true," David shook his head. "Remember what Fina told us, right? If the world is truly round as she says, then we should be able to sail east, but still arrive west of here." It sounded horribly counter-intuitive to the Vice Captain that such a thing was possible, but then again, he considered the existences of the Black Moon and the lands of Yafutoma, both new arrivals to his logic. "Fina's never been wrong about this before. So if we sail East and hit the Silverstone Barrier Reef and Ixa'taka, we'll know we're right."

A ship was headed full-speed for the docks. Usually this was a common sight, as Yafutomans had a prestigious aerospace industry, but it was a government courier ship, flying emergency flags off it's bows. The scarlet red banners signaled an all-points alert, and at the sight of them flapping in the cool winds soldiers all over the city began to mobilize. Military ships lifted off and formed up. "What's going on?" David wondered aloud. _Great discipline_...

A skiff launched from the courier, carrying several Yafutoman troopers led by a gold-clad officer. They touched down in the lake at the docks, leaping out and charging up the street, armor clanking with the sound of metal. "Hey," Kirala said, as she and the pirates tried to catch up with the messengers. "_D__oo shimashita ka_?"

"_Takusan gaikoku no kookai_," One of the armored men replied, huffing for breath. "_Chikai_!"

"_Sugoi_," Kirala breathed, turning towards the others. "Some more foreign ships have entered our airspace. Apparently they're getting close to the capital... I guess nobody challenged them at the perimeter."

"More foreign ships?" Vyse shared a glance with the other pirates. "Uh oh." They kept pace easily with the messengers, making their way into the palace. They burst into the throne room, throwing themselves into an honorable bow. The Blue Rogues did the same after a moment out of sheer habit, and as they stood up they heard the gold-armored officer begin to talk in Yafutoman.

Mikado, surprise etched into his weathered features, stood from his throne. "More foreigners?!" He demanded, before slipping back into his native language. The officer repeated his report. "I wish to see for myself." The monarch, followed by a confused princess Moegi, his entourage and guards, and the Blue Rogues, made his way out of the palace and into the main square of town.

On the horizon, dozens of black and silver dots were evident. Vyse zoomed in with his skyglass, easily identifying the metal airships as those belonging to the Valuan Armada. "They get a medal for consistency," The teenager noted. "Moons Damnit. _How_ did they find this place?"

"We got here, and a Spectre might be tricked up to perform same as the _Delphinus_," David offered. "Or they did the world-is-round trick and got here via Ixa'taka. Either way, this is not going to be good..." He shook his head. "They're real dogged. Everywhere we go, they're nipping at our heels, or got there way before."

"Valua?" Mikado looked over at them. "I take it from your talk that this is not good news, hm?"

"Oh, not at all," Aika nodded. "Lord Mikado, the Valuan Empire is the one we're trying to stop from getting the Moon Crystals. They want to wake up the Gigas and destroy the world, and they'll kill anyone for it. You should get your army ready for a fight."

"Too late," Moegi shook her head quietly. "We only have a small fleet defending the city proper, most of our forces are out on exercises this week... and they're almost here."

"Hm... five skiffs took off from the fleet, they're headed for the docks... only five. They're full of soldiers, but the middle one also has two... Aika, you're really not going to like this."

"... It's him, isn't it?"

"Afraid so. Our beloved belly-dancer is also here. Lord Mikado, Princess, you should really get back in the palace. Things could turn ugly. We'll get down to the docks right away..."

Mikado looked ready to argue the point, but merely nodded. "Very well. Kangan, send out word not to resist the Valuan forces, and let them pass. I suppose this will be their official envoy..." With that the rulers of Yafutoma began to retreat back inside, as the fleet drew ever-nearer to the city. The metal transports touched down next to the _Delphinus_' lifeboat.

"_Hai, Mikado-sama_," Kangan replied, giving a venomous smile. Because all of his smiles were such, no concern was raised with the old monarch. _This could benefit us quite a bit_... He gave a pleasant wave to the pirates as they ran off, which made Vyse's stomach lurch. Something was awry, although, as with the smile, it was probably just his entire aura and nothing special. He still felt on his guard as they ran through the streets. Normally clogged with moving humanity, everyone was still, watching the skies fill with metal airships.

They reached the docks section, and the large slab of an island where the _Delphinus_ sat came into view. Aika gasped, pointing towards it. To either side, two Valuan gunboats had moved alongside the ship, their massive hulks almost as large as the refurbished flagship itself. "No!" Enrique said angrily, stepping forward out of pure reflex.

"At least the crew is groundside," Vyse balled his fists, "But Lawrence and a few Yafutomans are aboard... they're probably going to arrest them or something." He found himself worried for the helmsman, even though he had demonstrated his ability to take care of business.

The clanking of metal now attracted their attention. They turned, ready for a fight as eight red-armored Valuan elite troops came into view, running forward with swords drawn. At the last moment, they stopped and formed two ranks, with blades up and standing stone-still. In their wake stood two Valuan Admirals- Vigoro and Belleza, both looking at the air pirates with confidence.

"Hey, Handsome," Belleza practically purred, looking Vyse up and down approvingly. "It certainly has been a while. What is it, three months?"

"Four," Vyse corrected her, crossing his arms.

"Yo, Red," Vigoro thundered, his cheeks coloring slightly as he appraised the object of his own affections. Aika did not appreciate such attention, taking a reflexive step away from him in memory. "Looks like fate brought us together again... I'm happy to see you, and I know you're breathless that I'm here now!"

"Breathless because I want to puke," The Blue Rogue denied flatly.

"We'll get rid of that gag reflex together, baby-"

Belleza put out a gloved hand, silencing the much larger man. "Vigoro, please. We are in the presence of Prince Enrique, restrain yourself." She bowed respectfully to the blond rebel monarch. "I trust his Majesty is in good health. If you're wondering how we got here, we blasted a hole in the Silverstone Reef and traveled west. Ramirez was right about the world... Our goal is the same, my Prince. We also seek the Blue Crystal."

"What?!" Vyse crouched slightly lower in a combat stance, aggressive. _Knew it_.

Fina clasped her hands to her breast and looked over to Belleza. "Are you planning on burning down Yafutoma like the other nations?" She asked quietly. In response to the other pirates getting ready, the Valuan soldiers snapped into combat posture, swords ready. The situation was setting itself nicely for a fight.

That was something she would never allow. Putting her hands out again, Admiral Belleza smirked. "Not this time. As you know, I'm against unnecessary slaughter. We've come to parlay with the Lord of these lands.

"You're wasting your time," Fina said calmly, surprising everyone, including herself, with her audacity, "Lord Mikado is an honorable man. He will not make a deal with the Valuan Empire, I'm sure of it."

"We'll see about that." She walked forward, and now stood face-to-face with Vyse. Her expression was a completely sober one. "Everyone has their limits... their codes, morals, ethics, things that define who they are and what they do. Everyone also has a weakness... something where, if you apply pressure... poof." She blew a kiss at him. "Those limits seem to disappear. I wonder what Mikado's weakness will be. Until then, I'm _sure_ I'll be seeing a lot more of you, Handsome."

With that, the Admirals passed them on the ramp, walking up towards the gates to the city wall. Their guards followed after them, armor hissing and clanking against the cobblestones underfoot.

"Vyse, aren't we gonna stop them?" Aika demanded, glaring at Vigoro's broad back.

"We can't," David said. "The Valuans are here under a flag of truce, and they're peaceful so far. If we attacked their envoy party, we'd only prove them right about Blue Rogues. Pardon me, but proving Admiral Vigoro right is not high on my list of priorities. Rather be keelhauled." Vyse silently nodded in assent.

"Rather be shot in the head," Aika agreed. "Alright, ass kicking is out. What now?"

"There is nothing more we can do until they conclude their talks," Enrique shook his head. "We cannot even reach the ship right now... I suppose we must return to the guest quarters." He put a hand on Vyse's shoulder. "Our moment will come, I'm sure this ersatz peace won't last."

"I'm not sure if anything can last," David took the lead up the same ramp the Admirals had gone a minute ago. "... when the Armada decides it's chow time."

0-0

"My answer? You already know my answer to such a... demand!" Mikado was quite transported with his righteous anger. Belleza and Vigoro knelt before him, in the grand Yafutoman throne room. The advisors were talking amongst each other, Kangan and Muraji whispering excitedly. Moegi watched silently, covering her beautiful face with her long sleeves. "We will never allow Valua to occupy the Kingdom."

Belleza merely smirked. "But... _Mikado-sama_, surely you realize that your weakened city defenses wouldn't last a single day against the firepower of our Armada. In order to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, I highly recommend you surrender to us now."

"Never! My people will never submit themselves to be crushed under the boots of a band of thieves and murderers!" Mikado angrily gestured, his iron will resisting even the thought of defeat. "We are protected by the Blue Moon. In the past, when Yafutoma was threatened, the Blue Winds always came to save us. If you attack us, the Winds will blow you into the Dark Wall! Valua will never occupy Yafutoma!"

Belleza sighed. "I am sorry that you didn't see our side of the story... then, this meeting is at an end." Both of the Valuan Admirals stood up, looking around. "Then, I will gain control of these lands by my own methods. Kangan, Muraji, now."

"Yes," Kangan said. "Soldiers! Secure the Throne Room at once!" He raised his arm, and at his command a dozen Yafutoman troopers filtered into the room, pole arms at the ready. They rounded up the nobles and clerks, and several soldiers surrounded the great thrones of Mikado and Moegi. People gasped and began to shuffle, but the soldiers kept them quiet and rounded up professionally. The room was now, quite literally, a captive audience.

"What?! What sort of treachery..." Mikado looked over to Kangan. The measly advisor looked so incredibly full of himself and satisfied. "You little treasonous-" One of the soldiers held their pole arm's sharp metal tip to the Lord in warning, silencing the old man.

Muraji stepped forward, emboldened by their control of the situation. "You'd better just keep quiet," He sneered, "Otherwise you may loose your head... in the confusion of the moment, of course."

Kangan ignored Mikado for a moment, bowing deeply in respect to the Valuan Admirals. "Belleza, in accordance with our prior messages... this country will fall under the dominion of the Valuan Empire."

"Kangan?! What are you doing?!" Mikado was barely checked by the soldiers surrounding him, looking quite willing to take on the entire room himself.

"_Mikado-sama_, as Lady Belleza stated, even if we had our full force at muster, we would never survive a protracted engagement with the Armada." He smiled another of his vile sneers at the newly captured ruler. "To save our people, we shall usurp your throne... and assume the leadership of Yafutoma, our rightful position."

Vigoro chuckled, watching the drama unfold before his eyes. "Wow, Belleza! Glad we're in the same fleet now."

"Don't relax yet," Belleza advised. "Not with Vyse and his crew about... Kangan, send out soldiers to arrest his crew before they can stir up trouble, they should all be in the guest quarters by now. Bring the captured men from the _Delphinus_ to my flagship, as well." With the commands in place, she turned on her heel and left the throne room._ Time to put the second part of my plan in to action_.

Belleza made her way back to the _Lynx_, where they were waiting with the prisoners. All of the Yafutoman mechanics had, predictably, chosen to remain in the brig instead of joining sides with Kangan's coup. Standing in her personal study was the mysterious mercenary who Vyse had hired to pilot the _Delphinus_, known as Lone Wolf Lawrence.

"Why did you call me up here, Admiral?" Lawrence asked, directly to the point, even with his long black hair concealing his sharp eyes. "My loyalties are not cheap, and someone has already paid the price required. I don't betray my bosses."

"You did once, Captain," Belleza smirked, watching his surprise. "Didn't expect that, hm? I heard about you. Commanding the patrol ship _Alejandro_, you mutinied with some of your men when you found out how the Ixa'takans were being treated... all the crew was killed, but you, who was set loose without a golden coin to your name."

"What of it? My days of naivety are well in the past, Belleza," The hired gun stated with reasonable reserve. "And your resurrection of memories long buried isn't helping you."

"One million. Up-front. The other million when Vyse and his crew are captives of the Armada," Belleza said tersely, staring at him. Two million gold was more than many people saw in their entire lives, and here it dangled before the bitter pilot. "I know your quality personally, and from reports from Valuan ships at Nasrad and Cape Victory. We can afford the cost to keep you out of the fight for our enemy."

"Two million." Instead of a straight, furious denial, Lawrence allowed the concept to sink into his mind. It was orders of magnitudes beyond his considerable wage as a Blue Rogue. Even though he swore to himself never to be emotionally entangled again, something about Vyse panged the back of his head as he considered the bribe. "And a pardon for all the bogus charges you've trumped up?"

"Of course," The master strategist nodded, smirking. _I've already won this one, I can see it in his tone, his stance_. He was clever, able to see a step ahead of everyone, but her sight extended millions of steps ahead and behind. It was a rare gift, a sharp gift, and one that few could escape from when entangled in her machinations. _Not everyone can be Vyse_.

Lawrence's internal battle raged. _I must never allow myself to get tangled in by my conscience... last time, that got good men killed, and ruined my career, my hope, my future. I made a new future... but this is a lot of money. I could retire some place safe and forget all about Moon Crystals and Wars and Rifts_...

He decided, brushing away his hair to look her straight in the eye. _Something I always knew I should have done_. "Belleza, you have a deal. Consider me one of your thugs, with pilot skills."

"Welcome back aboard," The redhead smiled warmly. _Yet another asset secured... and this time, Handsome, I'm gunning for you with all of my power. You won't escape again_.


	8. Exile

Chapter Eight- Exile

Princess Moegi had been taken by a single soldier to her royal quarters, on the other side of the palace complex from the guest houses. Her mind was working overtime as she walked before her armed escort, furiously worried. _I must find some method of warning them, or they will all be executed by Kangan... Prince Enrique_... She glanced at the soldier. He was obviously much stronger than her, and didn't appear to have any scruples about cutting her down should she flee.

Under her majestic blue robes she removed a simple armband, made of precious gold. The armband was enchanted with a spark of Purple Magic, a branch that she had only a passing familiarity with. _A sleeping spell... With the armband, I might be able to do it_... Without warning, she stopped walking and knelt down. The guard turned around in time to see the ring of arcane purple magic form around her, casting a violet illumination on both of them. "_Tsuki, kuremasu chikara_," She said.

The vaporous cloud appeared around his head, and he shuddered, falling forward. His metal armor thumped against the cobblestone path, the pole arm in a mighty hand falling limply to the side. She sighed. "Forgive me..." She was not a violent person by nature, and made sure to lay him out fairly comfortably before beginning her journey.

Kangan had deployed two squads of Yafutoman guards to surround the guest complex, which floated on a long canal system and was connected to the palace grounds with three wooden platforms. The twenty-odd troopers moved forward, beginning to break in to the far house and dragging air pirates out. She felt a pang for them, but saw most of the crew surrender peacefully. _It's too late for them... I must warn Captain Vyse and the others now_... She ran down the path, towards the complex.

The guards failed to notice her in the commotion of the grand sweeps, and she was soon aboard the platform holding the main guest house. With all preamble at protocol or civilized behavior abandoned, she sprinted for the door, pushing it open with a loud thump. "Everyone! Quickly! You must get out of here!"

The pirates looked up in surprise- all of them but David were sitting, the Vice Captain leaning against the far wall. "Princess?" Enrique said, blinking.

"Kangan and Muraji have staged a coup," She said, gasping for breath from her short run. Despite her efforts to escape, she was not in the best of physical conditions. "They've taken my father and his supporters hostage, and the royal guards are beginning to round up your crew! It's all Belleza's doing!"

"Belleza?" David snapped his fingers. "Damnit. She must have met with the weasels before they announced their presence to Yafutoma and planned this whole thing out... and now we're caught in their nets. Vyse, you're the Captain, what should we do now?"

"Our crew's being arrested! We have to go help them," Aika objected, heading towards the footlocker in her room that contained both her and Vyse's weapons.

"No," Vyse clenched his fists. "There's too many soldiers, Aika. If we fight them we'll just get everyone killed. We need to escape... but we can't just leave everyone, they might rebel on their own..."

"Go on," David sighed. "I'll get to the other houses and tell everyone to go along with the flow. Moegi, I assume you have some secret passage, right? Keep that open when you go in, I'll follow behind and lock up."

"David..." Fina clasped her hands to her chest while Cupil made an unhappy noise.

"Won't take a minute," The Vice Captain said, drawing his new semi-automatic revolver and cocking back the hammer. He set out the open door, running down the platform with stealthy haste. _Oh, the things I do for you lot_...

"Very well. Follow me, please." The Princess passed between them and over the tatami mat in the center of the room. At the opposite wall, she pressed on a slightly discolored brick of wood. The wall gave way, shifting around and revealing a long, dark inlaid passage. "This leads to a private dock under the city. We can take my personal lifeboat out. Quickly!" They set out, the foreign princess in the lead, through a series of dimly-lit stone tunnels.

They reached a particular bend in the hallway, which led to the outside. A walkway slunk across the underside of the floating islands that the capital city was mounted on. Stretching to one side was the enormous dull stone, and to the other was the infinite, bright blue of the sky. They made sure to keep their balance as they progressed.

The sound of gunshots made them turn and look. David was running backwards over the platform, his expansive red cloak and cape flapping about in the wind. His revolver belched smoke and flame, sending another round at the opening back to the tunnels. A cry of pain indicated his accuracy, and he continued his retreat.

"They don't like it when you shoot at em," David noted as he caught up with the teenagers, running with them as the guards' yells intensified in the distance. "Figured that out all by m'self. Everyone gave up peaceably, and they're all ok, Vyse." The captain looked relieved by this announcement.

"You're wounded," Fina gasped, pointing to the arm which clutched his gun. Although he wore all red, the large gash was visually obvious, trickling the man's blood down his shirt.

"Meh. Didn't go fast enough," The Vice Captain dismissed, even though he winced. "Knowing Gilder my whole life has taught me how to move pretty fast when figures of authority want to bring you in, heh. Unfortunately, I'm still not perfect."

"Join the club," Aika said, tossing him a Sacres crystal, which he gratefully put to use. The group came across an outcropping of stone, and anchored to it was Moegi's lifeboat. It was a hexagonal metal platform sandwiched between a spiked dome on the top and a spiraling bottom section that spun with the wind. Intricate foreign designs ran across the hull, marking it as distinctly important.

Once everyone was aboard, Moegi took them up. The lifeboat ascended over the island, continuing to climb using Yafutoman technology into the sky. They passed the upper cloud layer, revealing total blank blue sky around them. The islands that they had been on looked like tiny miniatures beneath them. Fina gasped. "The powers of the Blue Moon are amazing," She nodded. "This is almost as impressive as early Silvite technology."

"We will be safe here," Moegi said. "Even other ships of my people are too unwieldy to make it this high. Now, we must mark our course due north from the capital city. An ancient temple rests upon an island chain there... and that will be where my brother Daigo is."

"Your brother?" Vyse blinked. "That exiled prince?"

"... Yes. He is the true heir to the throne." She looked down at the metal deck and heaved a long sigh before continuing. "A long time ago, my brother directly went against my father's orders. As punishment, he was exiled to the ancient temple, never to return to Yafutoma proper."

"Stranding him on an island is kinda harsh, don't you think?" Aika asked.

"Hm. A lot of pirate crews leave mutineers or traitors on small islands in exile, like that. There's an island off Cape Victory renowned for it." David nodded. "I personally don't support the practice. Moegi, it does seem a little bit overkill for just a guy disobeying his father."

"He was always very rash and independent, and loved to shirk his royal duties... but that was no reason for father to disown him. I believe that Muraji and Kangan convinced him to met out such a harsh sentence, to get him out of the way. Without my brother's strength and leadership, they would have a chance at taking over."

"Looks like we don't have much choice." David sighed. "We're going to have to rely on Prince Daigo. Alright, full speed ahead! Which, for this big metal turd, probably isn't much..." He retreated inside the lifeboat first.

"Do not worry, Princess Moegi, we'll save your father, and free the people of Yafutoma," Enrique pledged to her nobly, saluting to his heart. The deck shuddered slightly as they began to move forward, due north. The two noble refugees' eyes were locked together, and a blush crept onto the teenagers' cheeks.

"Thank you, Prince Enrique," She said, bowing kindly. "I have faith in you and all of your friends." With that, everyone else went inside the boat, where it was pressurized. "This altitude might be unfamiliar to you, so you should stay inside where the air pressure is constant," She recommended.

"Good idea." Vyse nodded. "Let's go! Sooner we get to the temple, sooner we can kick the Valuans back into the Dark Rift."

0-0

"Hey, guards, you wanna know where Vyse is? Well, he's up your ass, bitches!" Marco's profanity-laced tirades echoed through the stone and wooden dungeon complex directly under the palace. It was orders of magnitude better and more humane than Valuan brigs, as the people of Yafutoma valued such ideals more, but it was still a jail cell to the crew. Groups of three had been split up across the metal compartments, but they could see and talk with each other.

Pinata made a face. "Marco, please cease and desist. I already have a headache from being thrown in prison by the Armada, and I'd rather not annoy the guards. The _armed_ guards." The plump intellectual kid was sitting on the oak bench across from him. Between them sat a stoic and silent Robinson.

"Hey, crazy lady," Marco said, addressing the former Angel of Death, "Why don't you, like, kill all these guards with your crazy murder powers?"

"It does not work like that," Piastol explained with an incredible level of calm. "I have no weapon and they have Silenced us to prevent anyone from casting magic. The only person who I could reach would be you, and if you don't shut your mouth, I might consider doing so."

"Yeesh, tough crowd," The street urchin shrugged it off, turning back towards the unfortunate soldiers standing guard over them. He continued his annoying heckling for several more minutes, inducing no more than the occasional twitch from a mutineer. The door down the hallway shuddered and swung open, producing Admiral Vigoro. He was flanked by elite guards who were dwarfed by the muscled titan. "Hey, it's the baboon! Aika told me all about you, you perverted lil pile of shit!"

Ignoring the boy completely, he swept his gaze across the assorted prisoners. "Listen up, pirate scum. Kangan's the new boss in charge, as you can probably tell, and he don't take too kindly to your type of people any more. He's going to execute you, tomorrow."

A murmur went through the air pirates. Luke stood, crossing his arms. "Well? I doubt you came down here just to personally deliver our death warrants."

"No, I didn't. I've come to make a deal... hello there." His gaze fell upon the cell which was occupied by Polly, Belle, and Piastol. One did not need much mental prowess to find what drew his attention. "Yeah, you'll do nicely... heh heh. Here's the deal. If one of you spends a night in heaven with the manliest stud this side of the Dark Rift, I'll get your sentences reduced. Kangan's just a puppet for me and Belleza."

The Lady Admiral waited just outside the ajar metal door, listening intently. _Indeed, I did promise to help Vigoro with his newest scheme... it's something I've been wanting to test for a while. How loyal is his crew to Vyse, and to each other? Will they sacrifice their bodies and their pride for life?_

"How about it, red?" Vigoro winked at Polly, who seemed taken aback and completely offended by the enemy leader's forward manner. "Ditch the shipwreck and get with a real sailor. Maybe we could rock the boat."

"Oh, _Moons_," Robinson groaned, "Dear, just agree to it, just to stop the onslaught of shitty-ass pickup lines." Despite their dire situation, a laugh ran through the crew, even Polly.

"Sorry, I'm taken," Polly shook her head and crossed her arms over her ample chest.

He was about to say something to Belle, when Piastol cut him off. "How about a different deal, Valuan. If I can beat you in a fight, you will grant our reprieve." She stood up, the beautiful teenager's determination blazing in her eyes.

Vigoro was literally looking down upon her. "What, you? Against me? Come on, girly."

"Unless you're a coward to face the Angel of Death," She said, smiling. It was only barely a smile, though, because the emotion it carried was not positive, but an arctic hatred reflected in her face.

Belleza smiled, knowing that such a simple ploy was just smart enough to work on the straightforward, bulldozing Vigoro. "What?!" The taller man exclaimed. "Me, a coward? Not likely, little girl." He cracked his knuckles. "And when I beat you to a bloody pulp?"

She took in a deep breath. 'If you win, then I will give you my body for whatever use you want. I will willingly do your commands."

"Hm... you'll be damaged goods by that point... I have a better plan. If I win, I get her." He pointed at Belle, grinning as his cheeks flushed slightly.

"What? Leave her out of this-"

"... It's OK, Piastol," The gunner said, looking down with an unusually quiet voice. "If we don't do this... everyone's going to be killed. If there's one thing the Cap'n taught me, it's how to take care of my own. Besides, with you fighting, we can't loose."

Piastol was taken aback for a moment, then clenched her fist. "Very well. Deal, Vigoro." At the Admiral's command, the guards stepped forward, unlocking her cell. She stood up, calmly walking out as her footsteps echoed in the tense silence. The cell door clanked closed behind her, and the lock clicked back into place. The soldiers immediately stepped back- just because he was confident, they were not, still fearful of Piastol's mighty reputation.

Vigoro cracked his knuckles in a fashion that would have menaced anyone but her. "Ready whenever you are. In fact, I'll give you the first move, just to prove how gentlemanly I can be."

"And I will prove how deadly I can be, without a weapon," She said, and knelt. With her amazing speed, she launched her attack, tossing herself across the short distance separating them. Vigoro had heard about her speed, and was ready.

"Moons, Give Me Strength," He commanded, casting Quicka from an enchanted crystal obtained by the Valuans from Yafutoman mages. Blue rings of light surrounded him, glowing proudly in the murky and grim lightning of the jails. An infusion of energy shot through him, and every pore in the muscular man's body tingled. He raised his fists, sending a blindingly quick haymaker her way.

She dodged, using her momentum and rolling beside him, unfolding and flipping around to face him again without striking a blow. His extra speed was something she had not accounted for, but she was still sure she was quicker. _And the magic will wear off... all I have to do is buy time_.

He was not keen on allowing the former mercenary huntress to run down the clock. He began a steady stream of powerful, rapid blows, his fists raining around her as she desperately evaded. Every trick in her arsenal was employed, and she barely managed to avoid damage. Several of his punches hit a nearby wooden wall, denting inwards and splintering bits of the material into spider-web cracks.

As his fist dug into the wall and became embedded there for a second, she saw her chance, leaping up onto his tree-trunk of an arm. Pushing off from him, she spun around, placing a perfectly-aimed spin kick to the side of his head with her metal boot. The hit was jarring, and she leapt off as he freed his hand and flailed about, pain shooting through his vision. He growled, trying to steady his massive frame and looking over at his enemy. "Looks like I'll need to bring out my secret weapon for this..." He winked and blew her a kiss.

Piastol assumed this was simply a psychological trick, but when she moved to counter-attack, she found she could not move. Her limbs did not respond to her commands, and the white-haired teenage girl was now frozen in place. "No girl can resist my Charm," Vigoro chuckled loudly. "Literally. You're now gonna find it pretty impossible to... well, move at all." He advanced on her.

She kept trying to move, but it was to no avail. When he reached her, he wrapped his enormous arms around her shoulders and picked her up. She was securely nestled between his steel chest and arms now, and he began to squeeze with all of his considerable strength. This bear hug had incredible power behind it, compressing her lethe frame brutally.

The cry of pain echoed through the jail, as the pirate crew watched, feeling as helpless as she was. Vigoro kept tightening his grip, like an enormous constrictor snake, and crushing his prey. There seemed no way to escape such power, even if she had been able to move. As it was, she heard several low pops and knew that he was planning to snap her in half.

"You're gonna kill her," Marco objected in horror.

"That's-the-general-idea," Vigoro replied through gritted teeth, pausing between each word to apply a short burst of extra pressure. As he began to shake her like a limp rag doll in his arms, she began to see black spots encroach on the sides of her vision. She could draw no breath.

Belleza had already seen the result in her mind, not waiting to see the fight end. She stepped into the room, and spoke up. "Vigoro, we've got new intelligence on where Vyse and his command crew have gone. Stop playing with your toys and get moving." She crossed her arms, leaning against the metal door frame.

"B-Belleza?" Vigoro blinked. "Even Red?" The Admiral nodded to him. He sighed. "Hm. Well... alright." He released his grip, allowing Piastol to fall to the floor with a weighty thump. "I guess I win this one." Vigoro began to laugh. "I'll be back for my prize... later."

"No... no you won't." The bounty hunter coughed up her own blood, which splattered across the floor of the prison hallway. "We're not finished here, Valuan..." Even though they were slightly hazy from the pain, her sharp eyes still blazed defiance. She propped herself up on one elbow, shaking with the effort.

"Moons, Piastol," Luke cursed. "Just stay down! There's no way you can face him!"

"You got guts," He admitted. "But you just aren't very bright." He raised his boot, kicking her directly in the face. She fell backwards, onto her back, and this time did not stir. "Not everyone can be lucky like... her..."

"The execution, Admirals?" One of the troopers asked hesitantly.

"Postpone it," Belleza said, and a collective sigh passed through the prisoners. "I am against the killing of people for no reason... Vigoro just proved how harmless this crew is without their leader. Come on, let's go." With that, the two Valuan commanders made their exit, and the guards picked up Piastol and put her back into her cell.

Belle attended to her, tears in her young eyes. "Why?" She asked, watching her slip into a fitful, unconscious darkness. So many questions had formed in her mind, and she felt a guilt. "Piastol was hurt defending me... this is my fault..."

"No, it ain't," Polly shook her head, patting the gunner's mop of brown hair. "It's that muscle-headed creep. When Vyse springs us from this hole, we're all going to kick his ass for this. We'll have our revenge." The usually sanguine cook was, like the rest of the crew, sickened and angered by the actions of Vigoro.

Khazim growled. "What a coward... his special power makes any girl trying to fight him basically useless. If he does dare to come around again, he'll have to face me before he gets you, Belle!" He viewed her almost like a little sister and a companion, and he was an honorable soldier of the Nasr Kingdom, sworn to protect the innocent from the likes of the Valuans.

"Agreed." Rodgers nodded grimly. "So, we know that Vyse, Aika, Fina, Enrique and David have all escaped capture so far. What we don't know is how they did it, where they're going... we're in the dark, here." She shook her head and let out a long sigh. "And we can't escape from these cells without some serious work..."

"We should have faith in them," Luke said. "You and me both know Vyse. He'll never give up until he beats them, and he's beaten both Belleza and Vigoro before."

Belle nodded vigorously, still wiping her tears away. "Right... please hurry, Captain..." _I don't want to stay here... I don't want anyone else getting hurt... I don't want to be alone with that man..._

0-0

The skies were still clear and blue, and nothing was in sight in any direction. The lifeboat made it's tenuous escape, most of her occupants inside the ship. Vyse sat on the small ring-shaped deck outside of the dome section, leaning on the metal and staring out vacantly. His thoughts were with his friends, the ones he had to abandon. _Guys... I'm so sorry... I wish I could have saved everyone_.

The door clicked open, swinging with a groan to admit Enrique. "Vyse."

"Hey," He replied in a quiet voice. "What's up?"

"I was going to ask you a similar question." The blonde leaned backwards against the large rail, looking over at him with a gentle smile. "You haven't returned inside yet, you're going to get dizzy from the pressure differences."

"Already am, haven't noticed it," Vyse shrugged. "I was just, you know, thinkin' about stuff." He paused, and then his traditional grin returned to his face. "Ah, Moons, why am I worrying about this? Nothing to be done, at least we got away, huh?"

"I remember what you said at Esperanza," The prince said, looking into the sky as well. "About always having to be the cheerful one. Well, I still disagree. We're all here to help you, Fina and Aika are getting worried, too."

"Damn right. This ain't like you." Aika was the next one out, sitting on the rail to the other side of Vyse.

He looked at both of them. "Guys, thanks, I'm sure everyone's fine since they all gave up without a fight. Still... you know, can't help thinking about it while we're just out here. I think I'll come inside now." Vyse paused, then looked over into the sky, where a speck on the horizon caught his attention. Magnifying it, he caught a glimpse of something vanishing below the cloud layers. "Hm... I just saw something."

"Probably just a high-altitude merchant ship," The prince dismissed. "Come on."

They retreated to the interior of the lifeboat, where Fina and Moegi were leaning over a map and David was commanding the strange Yafutoman helm controls. The Silvite looked up, nodding to Vyse and the others. "According to these maps, we should be approaching the temple's island within an hour."

"Normally, we'd use Vyse for a lookout because of his skyglass," David spoke up, "But we don't want him outside for too long if we can avoid it, it's really fuckin' cold. Moegi, you should do it, since you're more acclimated to it. Yell if you see anything." He paused. "Well... at least speak up."

The princess giggled. "Wise counsel, Vice Captain. I will go outside then." She bowed to everyone and left the main chamber of the large lifeboat.

"How you holding up, Vyse?" David asked, never looking away from the ship's controls.

Before the teenager could offer a reply, Moegi's voice drifted into the room. "I have already spotted an island in the distance... Vyse, could you have a look out here?" The teenager opened the main hatch, stepping out into the chilled air over the clouds again. He blinked as his face prickled, and took in a deep breath, spotting easily the black speck on the distant horizon.

The main island had an enormous cold-gray stone building complex upon it. The building was high and tall, with a distinctive Yafutoman style in it's architecture. A smaller dock-island was connected to the temple with a winding, railed path. No ships were at port around the island, and in fact no sign of life at all could be distinguished. "Looks like we've found our temple thing..."

The crew made preparations for landfall, and Aika noticed something rather important. "Ah, hells. Vyse, we forgot our weapons!" Enrique, Aika, and Vyse were indeed unarmed, only Fina's Cupil remaining of their implements. "We must have left them in the guest house!"

"Let's really hope we don't run into trouble, then," Enrique sighed and shook his head, brushing a stray lock from his fair face.

"Psh. Place looks long abandoned," Vyse dismissed, helping them anchor the ship alongside the stone dock. It bobbled sanguinely in thin air, waiting as only a tool can. The refugees debarked, looking around. The wind blew, loud and lonely at this high place. It was a picture of old beauty and impressive desolation.

"This is where Daigo was exiled?" Aika looked around. "What a place... let's go." They set out, moving past the docks and up the long, narrow pathways towards the main island. Nobody appeared yet, and Moegi had begun to worry as they reached the gates of the temple. The large wooden doors were shut, but a testing push by Vyse made them readily yield, creaking and swinging backwards. They revealed a long, square courtyard flanked by sculptures and designs to either side. The main temple was up a flight of stairs, directly ahead.

A loud rustling attracted their attention. Armored figures appeared to either side of them, emerging from the shadows. Dozens of men wielding swords surrounded them, easily filling up the great space of the courtyard. Their scale-mail looked like a variant of the Yafutoman Army, but it was a deep crimson red, and each one looked rowdy and seasoned. The group looked around in alarm, preparing for trouble.

"Westerners..."

"... It appears that we meet again." Jao and Mao were sitting calmly upon the blue-scale roof of the temple complex, looking down upon them with identical serious expressions. There was no trace of wounds from their previous battle, and they looked like they were ready for another fight.

"Oh, not you two again," Vyse clenched both his teeth and fists, staring up at them. "What are you doing on this island, anyway?" _We don't have weapons... this is not good_... Moegi raised her long sleeves to her face in surprise and fear.

"This is the headquarters..." The twins stood up, their strict hair flapping in the breeze.

"... Of the Tenkou," Jao finished, and Moegi gasped. Both of them leapt off the roof, landing on the stone steps ahead of them and falling into their traditional combat stance. "It was very foolish..."

"... For you to come here," Mao said. "The time has come..."

"... For you to die!"

Violence was going to ensue, unquestionably. David drew his pistol and Cupil morphed into a blade, the only two armed ones in the group stepping forward to defend the others. Moegi fell back a step and prepared to begin mage support, casting magic to strengthen her friends and weaken the Tenkou encircling them.

A loud voice rang out in the courtyard. "Halt!" All of the Tenkou froze, looking between the twin Eastern warriors to the large double-doors of the temple. Those doors swung open, revealing another man. This man had black hair swept out of his handsome and noble face, his eyes calmly surveying the new arrivals. His skin was the yellowish tint of a Yafutoman, and he wore a blue robe with part of his developed chest showing. A sword was holstered to his side on a red rope belt. A scar ran down part of his left side chest. "Jao, Mao, who's there?"

"Commander, these are the Westerners..." Jao began, bowing in total respect for the warrior.

"... Who dared to defy us, and escaped our wrath once."

"They came through the Dark Wall with a metal ship," Jao finished, standing up again and taking his place at the man's side. Mao stood behind and to the side, shielding him.

"I'm Vyse of the Blue Rogues, Captain of the _Delphinus_," Vyse declared, glaring up at the handsome man. "You're the leader of the Tenkou?"

Moegi blinked twice, her normally half-lidded eyes opening fully and meeting the Tenkou leader's. "Daigo?" She said lightly, as if in disbelief. The siblings observed each other for a moment, nobody else around them speaking.

Her friends all gasped. "What? He's your brother?" David asked, holstering his firearm.

Daigo chuckled, putting up a large golden sleeve to his chin in contemplation. "Moegi! How have you been lately? I never expected you to bring foreigners to my temple. I didn't even know foreigners had found our nation again."

"I never expected to, either," Moegi shook her head. "But... what are the Tenkou doing here?!"

"Oh, about that." Daigo had a seat on the ground, legs folded neatly and a clever, independent smirk over his face. "These two came to my temple a long time ago and tried to fight me. They said they were collecting swords, and mine was on their list... so, of course, I beat them both senseless. For some weird reason, they swore an oath of fealty to me, and brought their whole pirate faction with them. At first I was taken aback, but I thought, hey, this might not be so bad. At least now I could reign them in and stop them from attacking unarmed ships. Plus, I have twin bodyguards now!" He laughed grandly.

Aika was in almost total disbelief at the sheer contrast between the royal siblings. "Moegi... is he really your brother? You two seem like night and day. That might just be me, though."

"Royal behavior in Valua..." Fina looked to Enrique, "... and Yafutoma..." She looked to a still mirthful Daigo, "... is certainly... different."

"Hm... but, what is the purpose of your visit, _Imooto_? Has father changed his mind yet?" Considering that a pitched battle had been about to erupt where he was sitting and this was the first time he had seen his sister in almost a year, Daigo was taking things rather calmly. However, he noted his sister's long, nervous pause and the expression on her face, and cocked his eyebrow. "What's wrong? Has something happened at home?"

Moegi steeled herself, and began to tell her older brother a story. It started with the foreign pirates and their reclamation of the ancient Maga Sphere, then of the feast and celebration. As her tale turned towards the arrival of the Armada, the mood darkened, and she recounted the treachery and violence of the morning in detail. She made sure to tell him everything, hoping to invoke Daigo's inner warrior.

This news indeed did herald a radical shift in the manner of Yafutoma's prince. He stood up, a mix of disbelief and rancor playing across his features. "Kangan, that little runt... he backstabbed our country, and handed it over to the foreign Armada?!

"Daigo..." Moegi trailed off, at an utter loss for words and feeling helpless.

"Damn! Moegi, _gomen nasai_... if I hadn't been banished, this never would have happened! I could have stopped those traitors in their tracks... When I was first exiled, I welcomed the freedom. I forgot all about our people, doing whatever I felt like in _my_ temple. But now... father and everyone else needs me to help! I have to go back and reclaim my title and honor as Prince of Yafutoma!"

His determination burned brighter each second. "Each of you, Blue Rogues... I can't thank you enough for helping my sister to safety. Now I go to war, to free my people, and toss out these Valuan invaders. Will you join me?"

The decision wasn't even worth the time to mull over. Vyse smirked a grin that was not unlike Daigo's own, and nodded. "Of course."

"And Prince Enrique..." He gaze turned towards the astute blonde. "Moegi tells me you defended her against that little cretin Muraji... my family thanks you for your chivalry."

"Think nothing of it," The Valuan noble shook his head, and gestured with his gloved hands as he had been known to do when he was talking eloquently. "I did only what my honor demanded, and what a lady deserved. And... Prince Daigo, I understand your predicament. I, too, have been exiled from my country... I wish to change the views of my country by changing the world around it. That is why I wish to aid you... from one fugitive prince to another. Also..." He looked away, narrowing his eyes. "The Armada sent to do violence to your people was sent by my mother, Empress Teodora. As a Valuan noble it is my duty to stop them. I can provide technical details and intelligence to your forces to aid your fight."

Daigo was quiet for a moment, then crossed his arms. "I understand. We welcome your assistance, Enrique. You are a noble man... far more so than I. If such a man as yourself were to be by my sister's side, I would sleep well at night."

This comment elicited the expected reactions from Moegi and Enrique, both of their faces turning a nice red shade and their speech becoming somewhat more awkward. "But... um..." The princess tried to gather herself, annoyed. "Ooh, Daigo, you..."

"Betcha they wouldn't get much sleep, though." He felt steel-melting glares coming at him from Enrique and Moegi, and Vyse grinned. "What? I'm not saying, I'm just saying."

"Hm... now, then, I will need time to prepare for battle. I must send out messages and gather my forces... this temple will be the Tenkou's rally point." He pounded his fist into his open palm. "In the meantime, it looks like you all could use some new gear and a good meal. Help yourselves to our accommodations- for air pirates we get by ok."

"And once the fleet is assembled..." Mao said, now standing beside the Blue Rogues.

"... We will begin the attack," Jao finished, nodding. "A most intriguing situation."

"Hm... while we're at it, let's get you a new blade. We have a forge and smithing facilities on-base, and a stocked armory, but I have a feeling that common weapons just won't cut it." Daigo chuckled. "Allow me to tell you a story, Vyse."

0-0

The morning sun had swept over the sky, vanquishing the eternal darkness of the night and bringing the frigid air to a temperature that was a bit more bearable. A single small Tenkou ship swam through the sky, it's sails elegantly picking up the jet-stream currents in the thinner atmosphere and pushing large oars to either side of it's wooden deck.

Commanding the ship was a woman- a rarity in any kind of sailing job, especially that of air pirates. She was of age and stout build, with short black hair cropped closely to match that of her men and a long, flowing robe over a suit of flexible plate-armor. She was Naomi Takako, Lotus of the Tenkou and one of Daigo's trusted lieutenants. She stood beside the helm controls of her ship, the _Yamato_. "It seems like you're a natural, kid."

"Thanks," Vyse said, happily. "I love sailing, always have. Hence the, um, air pirateness and stuff." He looked around. "Are we getting close to the island? We've been sailing for a few hours now, since sunrise."

"Captain, I've spotted an island in the distance," The watchman on top of the metal sails reported, his gruff voice easily carrying down to them. "Looks like the one that Ryu Kan is supposed to have set up in..." The blade-smith known as Ryu Kan was almost of legendary status. He was rumored to be the most skilled at his craft in the history of Arcadia, and his quest in life was to perfect the ultimate blade.

Vyse's friends had remained at Tenkou Island, but he had been given the services of the _Yamato_. Daigo and Moegi seemed to think that he should go relatively 'alone' for this quest, although they were not forthcoming as to why. The teenager leaned out over the side of the railing, seeing the small island approach the cruiser.

Takako said, "We'll dock at that natural harbor right there and lay anchor. When you've gotten what you need, come back out and we'll take you back to HQ." Vyse relinquished the helm.

"Right. Thanks," He replied, and when the _Yamato_ had reached land, he leapt off, landing easily on his feet. Before him in the island was a simple, unassuming wooden building. As he approached the red-painted door, the dull sound of metal clanking reached his ears. Curious, he knocked several times. "Hello?"

"_Hm? Donata desu ka_?" An old, weathered voice called from within, broken out by the metallic clanking every few seconds. "_Dooshite arimasu anata __chikazukimasu_?"

"... Huh? Crap, what if he doesn't know Valuan... um..." He summoned forth the sum total of all of his Yafutoman, having learned the most important thing first. "Er... _wakarimasen_?" Basically, he had just declared 'I don't understand', which would hopefully engage the smith further.

To his surprise, the door cracked, and an old man peered through the crack. "... _Doko kara desu ka_?" He inquired, suspicion obvious in his foreign dialect. Suddenly, he blinked, realization washing over him. "Westerner," He said, his scraggly voice going a fair Valuan. "Are you a Westerner?"

"Yes. My name is Vyse. Are you Ryu Kan?" The teenager inquired back.

"I am," The man nodded. "What is it you seek of me, Vyse of the West?"

"I need a blade," The pirate captain said, straightforwardly. "My old one was lost."

"Hm... I am a blade-smith," Ryu Kan admitted, "The finest in the nation... but I do not work for simply anyone who asks me too... you must be worthy of a blade before I will work for you. Come closer, and let me see." Vyse did as he was told, curious. A few seconds were spent in sober contemplation, and then the old man nodded again. "Very well. You seem of a sound quality... follow me."


	9. A Wind Blows

Chapter Nine- A Wind Blows

Three days had passed, and more Tenkou ships arrived with each hour. The fleet had been assembled around Tenkou Island, where excitement was likewise growing for the coming engagement. Hundreds of men passed through the headquarters, getting equipment and planning details with Daigo and his commanders. The remaining crew and Vyse were also preparing, and were currently in meeting with Daigo.

"Today is the day," The prince nodded. "In a few hours we move out and attack. Here is the latest intelligence reports from our scout ships..." He laid out a large roll of parchment with hand-drawn maps and specifications. "According to this, the Armada is patrolling above... Mount Kazai, for some reason."

"Mount Kazai? Why not the capital city?" David asked, thoughtfully leaning over the wooden table and taking in the information.

"That's something we don't know. Frankly, it doesn't matter where we hit em. The Yafutoman Navy is still in Osabomi county, and will not be a factor until this thing is done, which means all we need to do is beat the Valuans." Daigo sighed. "I make it sound too easy, right? Anyway, the scouts estimate that enemy force is high. Fifty gunboats, twenty cruisers, ten Spectre-class assault cruisers, and the flagships of Belleza and Vigoro are all mustered. Vyse, the _Delphinus_ has been spotted on maneuvers with the Armada, as well. I guess Muraji took it for his flagship."

Vyse growled, balling up his fists and gesturing towards the sky. "Now, it's personal!"

Fina giggled. "Vyse, maybe you should reconsider your priorities... Prince Daigo, your ships are much quicker and more maneuverable, but the Valuan airships can take much more abuse, and have greater firepower. In addition, to fire effectively, your squadrons need to coordinate lines of battle, while the enemy's ball-turrets make them able to easily return it."

"I know that. We're going to move the fleet in, and attack them straight from the front. Our goal will be a diversion- the _Yin Yang_ will move in with my elite men and Vyse's crew, and board the _Delphinus_ to take it back. With the firepower of your ship, this battle will easily be over. Without it? I'm not sure we can take them."

"It's a gamble," David said, leaning against the table. "Luckily, air pirates do this sort of thing all the time. All you have to do is get us relatively close and we'll get there."

"Alright. We've already eaten breakfast, and the men are ready and eager." Daigo smirked. "Once Ryu Kan finishes your sword, Vyse, we can move out and do this. How long did he say it would take?"

"Well, he demanded I stop pestering him, and said he should have it ready by noon... it's almost ten of the clock now, I think, so it shouldn't be long."

"Hm. It is complete." The old blade-smith walked into the planning room, cradling a new-born sword wrapped in delicate cloth and a leather holster. "I have made this blade with special care to detail and accuracy, using the best ore and material available on this isle." He held it out, and Vyse took the blade. He drew the long cutlass-like weapon, it's metal glowing and reflecting the light from the window. "It is _Kitsune_, the Fox, aide of noble rogues and pirates in their fight against injustice."

"It looks amazing," Vyse nodded. "But, it's only one blade... I usually fight two-handed."

"Your Vice Captain informed me of that earlier. I created another sword for your use..." He fully unfolded the bundle, revealing a shorter, stout blade coated in gold. "This sword is nameless, but it's point is sharp and fine, and you will find it highly effective. That is real gold alloy."

"Wow... real gold... you spared no expense with this blade. Ryu Kan, thank you." The teenager did a clumsily-executed bow to the older man.

"It is my craft," He shrugged. "And, as we agreed earlier, after this battle is over you will take me with you out of Yafutoma on your metal airship. It is about time I move on, and I wish to see the lands of the West with my own eyes." With these words spoken, he left the room again, but Moegi soon entered.

"Everything is ready now," The princess said. "It's time to go... I will see you off at the port."

"You aren't going to come with us, Moegi?" Aika asked.

"No. Although I have some magical aptitude, I'm not that skilled with combat. I would only be a burden in your attack, and I can tend to the wounded and coordinate things from headquarters."

"_Arigato_," Daigo nodded. "The time is now. Everyone, let's move." As one, the group, flanked by Tenkou guards and officers, stepped out of the room, and down the hallway, into the courtyard. Vyse blinked, looking into the blue sky. It was filled with warships, banners of the Tenkou flapping aside their folded sails and wooden hulls gleaming in the light. Their black metal cannons stuck out like rows of teeth from their hulls, and crewmen in red armor ran around on the decks, busy. He smirked as he noticed everyone looking around. "Jao and Mao tell me that we have over a hundred ships under our banner. I honestly didn't know how powerful a group I led... interesting, ha. Who ever thought I'd be leading a pirate fleet against my own country... meh. Let's go. A boat's waiting at the dock to take us aboard."

Indeed, alongside Moegi's lifeboat, a more sleek dragon-like wooden construct waited in midair. Naomi was waiting aboard, in her usual armor, and nodded to them as they approached. "_Daigo-sama_, it's a good day for a fight. A wind blows from the East, but it's nothing we can't handle with the oars."

"Damn right a wind blows, Naomi. It's called freedom." Everyone climbed into the boat besides Moegi. "Bye, sis," Daigo smirked. "I'll be sure to bring your boyfriend back in one piece." Before either of them could reply, he turned and seized the helm controls himself. "Full speed to the _Yin Yang_, then!" The lifeboat lifted itself up into the air, it's fins flapping madly and pushing them toward. The flagship waited for them, and turned to allow the smaller boat to dock in it's main hangar.

Jao and Mao were at the lifeboat hangar to greet them. "Today is a day..." Jao said.

"... That all will remember," Mao finished, leading them up onto the main deck, and from there to the bridge.

"Lieutenant Takako is going to lead the Tenkou troops supporting your boarding action," Daigo said. "She's something fierce with a katana." Aika pulled out her new boomerang. Once the Yafutomans had been told about the basic design, they had easily produced one for her, enchanted to fly higher with a pure blue moonstone embedded into the handle.

"I'll stay aboard the flagship with the prince to help lead," David said. "I might be a fair shot but in close quarters I'm rubbish."

"_Daigo-sama_?" The pilot asked, ready for confirmation.

"Do it, helmsman," The prince assented. "Move us to the head of the formation. Radio the squadron leaders to take point, and once we are formed up, proceed to Mount Kazai. We shouldn't be more than thirty minutes away at full sail." The _Yin Yang_ slid like a dragon across the air, and to either side three long lines of wooden airships formed up. Several other distinctive ships moved alongside, each home to another Tenkou leader who had agreed to ally with Daigo.

As one great mass of wood, steel and sail, the Tenkou fleet set out, abandoning their headquarters and launching valiantly into the welcoming sky. Everyone became more exited, standing at their posts and waiting for when they finally caught sight of the enemy.

It was 10:47 AM when the icy spiral of Mount Kazai was confirmed by a watchman aboard the corvette _Kamue_, and two minutes later the vanguard of the Valuan Armada came into view.

0-0

"There's the enemy. Prince Daigo, the Valuan gunboats are forming for battle. Looks like a staggered line... volley fire will be scattered against the enemy. Belleza's a clever bitch." David lowered his metal viewing glass for a moment, and looked back towards the prince. "What's the plan?"

"If we try and hit them from on high they'll simply angle up and hit us back, and we'll be sitting ducks. Splinter formation. First line, make ready to turn and volley-fire on the mark of squadron leader. Second and third squads, circle around to the left with all speed and hit their sides. Keep them in your sights as long as you can, but keep moving. Have all fleet watchmen begin scanning for the _Delphinus_." Having issued his orders, the Prince sat back and watched.

The first line of Tenkou warships drew ever nearer the enemy force, which was scattered across the sky like enormous metal rain clouds. They began to go higher or lower than the formation in order to acquire a specific target, and soon had little unit cohesion. The other two squads, the majority of the force, slowly veered to the left and away from them.

With the crackle of thunder, the first enemy volley came in. Flaming spheres trailed like comets through the sky, bursting in midair and painting washes of red and yellow hues across their view. Few of the imprecise shells made any contact, although one of the ships to the extreme left took one in the nose and was set on fire. It took the crew a moment to put it out, their craft bellowing smoke in a long trail.

"Steady," Daigo said. "Our cannons don't have their range, just keep moving forward... " The _Yin Yang_ was just behind the staggered first squadron. Vyse leaned out the side to better see as more Valuan shot rained across their bow. Smoke twirled upwards and mixed with the clouds as the pronounced smell of gunpowder reigned. "Almost... now!" Almost as one, the Tenkou ships stopped moving forward, swinging slowly around and presenting their cannons to the enemy.

"Make ready," The squadron leader commanded over the radio. "First squadron, broadside fire! Open up, boys!" The return volley was no less destructive than the Valuan shells, as the cannonballs twirled away through the sky. Explosions lined their hulls from the belching cannons, and the gunners worked furiously to continue the attack. The two lines were now incredibly close, exchanging brutal rounds of coordinated fire that slowly began to loose order and precision.

The battle was now, without a doubt, fully engaged. The lighter Valuan ships parted, admitting the Cruisers and Spectres, whose weaponry spat fire. Smoke, flack and metal filled the skies around the two fleets. Belleza, seeing the main Tenkou force slowly shift away from their main line and towards her right, sent the Spectres to form up and return fire.

Seeing their movement countered as enemy lines materialized in their path, the second squadron commander ordered his own ships to begin firing. The broad-siding only intensified, deafening roars of cannon beating the ears of the crews like drums. A gunboat sustained three subsequent hits, it's nose crumpling away from the force. It's metal hulk spun around in the air, beginning the long and terminal descent to Deep Sky.

Several Tenkou ships splintered apart, their light hulls simply unable to stand up to the bruising incendiary and concussion shells of the Armada. Men fell through the sky, flailing and screaming as they lost all hope of recovery and the few lifeboats were caught in an enfilading crossfire. Those on the decks of the warships were pelted with debris and burning explosives.

The third and final main force of ships continued to move out, filtering through the second squad's lines like water through a strainer and firing away as they kept going. Vigoro's battleship, along with a group in reserve, moved up, further extending the line of engagement. The two fleets now resembled twin long, twisting snakes, stretching out thinly into the sky and filling it with death.

"Damn, they're countering our moves," Vyse cursed, balling up a fist as he watched another Yafutoman ship be consumed by the flame. Men trapped onboard after the last lifeboats had soared away were burned alive, a most horrid fate.

"Any sign of it yet?" David demanded over the radio. Both groups of heavily embattled scout squadrons answered in the negative. Every other Valuan ship that had been sighted was engaged in full battle, but the _Delphinus_ was conspicuously absent.

The flagships of the Armada were trying to make up for it's lack, however. Belleza's magic cannons set further enemies ablaze, the long, pink metal object slipping out of volleys and returning fire with banks of autocannons. No Tenkou ship seemed able to hit it, as the _Lynx_ was amazingly agile, possibly with Quicka enchantment. Vigoro and his flag, a long, blue metal ship shaped around an enormous cannon called the _Draco_, were simply blazing away, blasting through entire airships with a single shot.

"Divert second squadron to the right, and upwards," Daigo ordered. "See if they can follow that!" One of the Tenkou formations evaporated, filtering through lines of opposing ships and climbing up. Answering torpedo volleys destroyed several, but they started returning fire anyway and rained cannonballs down on them with near impunity. Magically-enchanted shots from both sides sent rainbow-webs of light across the sky, and even regular explosives bracketed the fleets with an amazing show of sound and sight.

Showers of debris, splintered wood, burning metal, dead bodies, and other objects rained down towards Deep Sky. Gravity eagerly swallowed everything that was lost or blasted loose in the turmoil of the full-contact fleet battle. One of the Spectres had their bridge demolished, beginning to drift until shots capsized it, barrel-rolling downwards with it's propellers still whirling.

It was like an enormous, deadly dance, Vyse realized, feeling his stomach flip over as a ripped mast-sheet flowed past on the winds, covered in still-dry blood splotches over it's aquamarine surface. Before, he had been totally engulfed in adrenaline and action, not thinking too hard about the effects of the combat. With the _Yin Yang_ intentionally staying away from the main fray and not joining battle until the _Delphinus_ was found, all he could do was simply watch, and hope.

A stray cannonball did, in fact, land on the deck, ripping into the railing and rolling to a stop next to him. Luckily, nobody was hit, but the black lead object was white-hot from it's trip. He simply glanced down at it, then put up his boot and kicked it away, off the side, and ignoring the pain from the heat. It fell into Deep Sky with the majority of other battle debris.

"We've almost even," David spat off the side-rail savagely. "We're landing more hits but our ships are taking more of a punishment. Every move we try, Belleza blocks. Every move Belleza tries, we've blocked. Our formations keep shifting, but our relative positions are always the same."

"Sir! We've spotted the _Delphinus_," The cry rang out from the watchman stationed aboard the flagship's own crow's nest. "It's behind the Valuan lines of battle, slowly moving forward."

"Excellent work," Enrique nodded. "Now, get us alongside somehow, and we shall drive them off of my ship!" He former airsickness didn't even bother to try and make an appearance, heroic resolve and adrenaline steeling him against all the rigors of aeronautics.

"Right. First, second, third squads... all Tenkou ships, move to the right. Shift all lines to the extreme right and draw the enemy to avoid being flanked. Close and engage, no holding back. We need a good distraction to pull this off. Helm, set course for the _Delphinus_, maximum speed. All hands, prepare for marine action!" Following his orders, the soldiers taking part in the attack assembled on the wide deck with the air pirates.

The battle began to shift. As the Tenkou forces bolted further to the right, the Valuans had to turn and keep them engaged, shifting their battle lines and stretching themselves out backwards to the unnoticed _Yin Yang_. Their path clear, the _Delphinus_ appeared on the horizon, and Vyse observed it with his skyglass. "That's the real one, alright," He nodded. "Let's go!"

The Tenkou Flagship moved forward, heading at an incredible pace and whipping through the light winds across the sky. Onboard the bridge of the _Delphinus_, Muraji watched it approach and cackled with glee. "Oh, goodie, we get the flagship all to ourselves! I never would have thought I'd get to kill Daigo so soon..." The flag of his own family, the new rulers of Yafutoma, proudly hung behind him where Fina's Delphin banner used to be.

Lawrence, the only man qualified enough to operate the ship's controls, calmly handled the wheel and began to bring the throttle up. "Muraji, what are your orders?"

"Prepare the Moonstone Cannon," He replied. "Finish this quick, while they're still too far away to board us!" The pilot centered the _Yin Yang_ with the warship's nose, which sprouted open and admitted the cannon tip out. It began to gather energy in it's familiar glowing patterns. He carefully watched the progression of the charge, waiting until just the right moment and pressing the control system.

A feedback loop in the new magnetic coils blew through the ship, knocking every light out for a few seconds and shoving the ship back. "What happened?!" Muraji demanded, bordering on panic, even as red emergency-lights came on and illuminated the visage of his pilot and personal guards.

"Shielding failed," Lawrence replied coldly. "Backups are restarting... the Moonstone Cannon is not operational. I guess my former crew didn't do such a good repair job..."

"Never mind, then," The younger advisor-turned-ruler sighed in impatience. "Just finish them with the regular batteries! And get us moving, they're coming closer every second! ... Pilot, did you hear me?!"

"Helm controls are locking up," The mercenary sighed. "I can't do anything... someone hot-wired my command station." In truth, of course, the controls were fine, and perfectly responsive to his seasoned touch. He lied, pretending to bumble with the main consoles and power couplings as the Tenkou Ship came literally alongside.

"Moons, they're going to board us!" On the deck, a dozen harpoons shot out, embedding themselves into the metal. Sliding along the thick ropes attached to them, Tenkou boarders began to swarm over. Valuan and Yafutoman troopers were scrambled to meet them, and combat broke out. More reinforcements flowed over from both sides, and the battle quickly became ferocious.

Vyse, Aika, Fina, Enrique, and Naomi landed at the same time, loosing their grips on the rope and gathering. Around them, the cries of battle and clash of metal made it hard to hear anything else. Takako shook her head. "Let's clear these goons off the deck and get ready to move inside!"

Aika knelt down, beginning to chant magic. Fina joined her a moment later, while Vyse and Enrique drew swords and ran forward for a more personal stake. Naomi was alongside them, dueling two red-armored Valuans at once and easily holding her own. Within moments one of her enemies had fallen, clutching the stumps of their severed arms, and his fellow followed quickly.

Cupil had morphed into a long, thin needle, and was trying to stab a pole-arm Yafutoman soldier. The man seemed confused and off-balance by the strange creature, and was unable to keep up with his speed, finding himself run through. He crumpled up, his aqua armor quickly coloring red.

The prince disarmed a Valuan soldier, who was likewise unready to fight his own ruler, but hesitated to deliver the killing blow. A Tenkou did it for him, his metal claws slicing a jagged and bloody opening that finished it quick. The grizzled, middle-aged man stared Enrique in the eye for a moment, and then told him, "Don't hesitate, act." He turned in time to avoid the seeking metal tip of a Yafutoman spear.

Rolling aside to avoid a stray knife of magical ice, Vyse ran into the metal legs of an opponent, and both were stunned for a moment. The teenager rolled again, giving Naomi a clear path. She nearly cleaved him in two, slipping sideways to avoid most of the blood which now began to pool around the deck. It took on a strange coloration in the light of the girls' magic, which rained destruction on their enemies and healed fallen allies in equal parts.

Even though they were outnumbered, the Blue Rogues and seventeen Tenkou warriors were able to kill most of the enemies, and the remainders surrendered quickly. Naomi looked over at her comrade who had been slain, and neither mage had been able to get a Riselem spell to him quickly enough. She sighed and shook her head. "Grab his tags and weapons. Bind the prisoners and leave em here for now, and let's get moving."

Vyse looked down at the Tenkou corpse, then back to the dead of the enemy. "We'll give everyone we can find a proper burial after this," He said aloud, to nobody and everybody. After they had secured the defeated troops, they headed inside.

Alarms were going off in the cramped corridors, and several squads stood between them and the bridge. They began to slice a path, loosing several more soldiers but making the enemy pay much worse. They stopped when they reached the staircase which would take them directly to the bridge's hatch. "We'll stay here and hold this position," Naomi said. "Muraji's probably calling for more troops from the lower sections right now. You get in there and finish off that traitor and his guards. With him dead, the others should give it up."

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Aika asked her.

"Don't worry about us," The Tenkou Lieutenant said, brushing a short lock of hair from her hard eyes. "We all know how to fight. Hurry up, the tides of battle are slipping against our fleet." Out the window, one could observe the battle, in which dozens of Tenkou ships were quickly being sunk.

The bulkhead to the bridge wasn't even locked. "That's weird," Aika frowned. "The Valuans should have told him about the lockdown system by now, at least..." She paused. "Wait, Lawrence!"

"Huh? Our pilot?" Vyse blinked. "What about him?"

"What if they forced him to pilot the ship?" Aika asked. "He's the best man for the job, and we know they took him prisoner a while ago. Maybe he sabotaged the ship. Otherwise, how could we have gotten alongside the _Delphinus_ without them going evasive?" She had a point. Muraji was many things, but an idiot was not one of them. He doubted that he willingly let an enemy closer to him, at all, especially deadly ones like the Tenkou.

"All the more reason to get in there," Enrique declared, stepping forward first. They entered the large room. The mercenary was indeed there, standing next to Muraji, who was furiously struggling against the helm controls. Three soldiers stood between them and the traitor.

"Muraji," Vyse called out, and he and his guards all looked over to the door. "Thanks for keeping the wheel warm, but we'll be taking our ship back now."

"Y-You!" The little man squeaked. "You think you're so tough? You aren't that great, I have my own troops now! Lawrence, kill them!"

"No," The pilot replied casually, and he pulled out his sword. "Muraji, your squeaking is annoying me, so I'm going to switch sides again." He placed the blade at his throat. "You men, don't even think about fighting, or your leader's going to loose his head. Throw down your pole arms." The soldiers hesitated a moment, and he pressed the sword into Muraji's skin, enough to draw blood.

This made the small despot squeal in utter agony, and he said, "Do it, men! Give up! I don't want to die! Aaah!" They quickly dropped their spears, the metal tips clattering against the deck.

Vyse and Aika herded the soldiers into the back, up onto the throne chair, and tied them up. Enrique stepped forward, his katana still drawn and ready. He glared down at Muraji, and his intent could not have been clearer. Lawrence flashed a brief smile and took a step back. "He's all yours," The mercenary said. He looked up at Vyse and nodded. "You paid my wage, and I don't turn on my bosses."

"Muraji," The prince said, his tone one of cold steel, "You betray those who trust you, and tyrannize your own people. Many men are dying in the air today because of what you and your father have wrought." He brought his own sword up, the point inches from the weasel's face.

"Um... um... I..." Muraji was speechless, literally quivering in terror for his life. "Um... help me!" One of the soldiers tried to move, only to receive the blunt end of Aika's boomerang as a warning. No longer capable of standing up, Muraji fell, his back against the metal helm controls and still looking up the sharp katana point. Enrique said nothing for a few moments. "Please, don't kill me! I'll... give back your ship, and tell my soldiers to give up! I don't want to die!"

Enrique huffed. "You're too pitiful to run through. Today you keep your scalp, but you will pay for the crimes you have committed." He holstered his weapon. "Call off your crew aboard _my_ ship, now, before I become less forgiving." Muraji found his feet again, running over to the golden talking-tube and giving the word for surrender in Yafutoman before passing out in pure fright.

"Alright," Vyse cheered. The Yafutoman troopers laid across the ground, put out by Fina's sleeping spell for easier handling. The teenager nodded to Lawrence. "Grab the controls, Lawrence." He looked over as Naomi entered the bridge.

"They've laid down arms," She smirked, wiping blood from a gash on her cheek. "Looks like this ship's a little too big for you guys, my men will handle the cannons below the deck." With that, the Tenkou ran out again, her footsteps echoing in the metal room.

"Time to even the odds," Lawrence said simply, grabbing the wheel. "You'll be happy to hear I didn't have to damage the ship at all to give you your chance, Captain." He removed his personal dagger from an inner gear in the wheel. "There, power's back. Orders?"

"Join the battle," Vyse commanded. He walked over to the radio and turned it towards the frequency of the Tenkou radios. "Daigo, this is Vyse. The _Delphinus_ is back under old management."

"_Nice going, Vyse. Let's hope Yafutoma follows the example... watch yourself, you got a ship coming in from the Valuan line. Looks like they aren't taking chances with you all_."

Aika looked out at the ship, which grew bigger in the side-viewport of the bridge. She squinted at it's large, blue armor, and massive gun mounted on the prow of the battleship. It was obviously different than a usual Valuan airship. "Hm... there's something about that incoming bogey... that... _disgusts_ me... oh, no..."

"That's Admiral Vigoro's flagship, the _Draco_," Enrique said in alarm. "I'd know that cannon anywhere."

The redhead almost gagged, but opted instead for a surprised declaration. "Ah, damnit. Man, what is _wrong_ with that fucking asshole? He has a complex, I swear." _Oh, well, at least now I get to shoot him down, literally and figuratively_.

"The light-show with the cannon took some time to wire," Lawrence sighed. "The Moonstone Cannon is recharging now, we should be ready to fire in four minutes." A set of explosions to either side of the ship rocked the boat, the frame shivering. "... Commencing evasive action." The _Delphinus_' propellers sprang back into action, blasting air backwards and starting the ship in motion as a hail of cannonballs burst around it.

"_Hey, Vyse_," The radio blared. Apparently, Vigoro had figured out how to broadcast over all of the channels, and flooded both fleets with his chatter. "_Check out my cannon! It's bigger than yours! Bet I can kick your ass, like a man, too! You're about to go down in smoke_!" They tried to shut off the radio, but the switch got stuck, and so they were stuck with Vigoro's jeering.

"Oh, Moons," Aika groaned. "Lawrence, get us hit so I can die and be free of his voice."

Vyse rolled his eyes. "It's not so bad. Extra motivation..." The ship was now sideways relative to the _Draco_, and moving quickly around in an orbital pattern. Vigoro's secondary guns were blazing away, shells bursting inaccurately around them.

Suddenly, his Vigoro Cannon (self titled) opened up. Out of the muzzle, a solid sheet of flame engulfed the sky, and an enormous shell sped outwards quicker than the speed of sound. Jets of displaced air boomed in around the _Draco_ as it was shoved back by it's own firepower. The explosion took the _Delphinus_ on it's side, almost capsizing the ship and pushing it asunder. The crew struggled to keep on their feet as the ship stopped rocking.

"That's some power," Vyse frowned. "But now he should be vulnerable! Enrique, torpedoes! We might not be able to finish him off but we can start the job. Lawrence, turn us for a proper attack run, and I want the main cannons ready to fire." The Yafutoman cannons mounted on the _Delphinus_' box turrets revved up. The hatches on the nose of the ship burst into flame, and half a dozen torpedoes went into the clouds.

The _Draco_ began to move forward as well to avoid the torpedoes. The explosives slid harmlessly behind the blue flagship, plummeting back down into Deep Sky. As the two airships came closer, Vyse counted off the seconds, and then yelled, "Fire!" The ship rumbled as her own main batteries spat flame. Most of the shells landed, digging jagged holes into the armor and superheating it. Vigoro gripped the rail tightly on his bridge, waiting for another bullet to load into his cannon.

They passed each other, heading in opposite directions but beginning to turn again. "Three minutes," The helmsman said, glancing back at the control station where Fina was. "Not sure how much longer we can do this if he hits us." A small hit on the side armor shook them up.

"We'll do it," Vyse said confidently. "Torpedoes, now! Fire all!" Another volley of torpedoes sped into the sky. The _Draco_ wasn't finished turning yet, as it was a fairly unwieldy ship. Choosing to avoid damage, Vigoro veered off the other side, away from his attack run. "Now we're behind him! Secondaries, open fire." Small streams of cannonballs rushed forward. Several hit the vulnerable back armor of the ship, and ripped it open. Bits of debris flew into the air, smacking into the windshield and nose-armor as they started a pursuit. "That's the ticket! Here we..."

The enemy flagship abruptly stopped. To avoid outright collision, Lawrence turned hard to port, and they narrowly managed not to ram. The ship began to come about, and so did the _Draco_, who had managed to shake the pirates long enough to set up and fire. "... Go... shit... brace for impact!" The second Vigoro Cannon round took them in the back.

Luckily, the muscular Admiral's aim was slightly off, and he only ripped off one of the ship's maneuvering wings. This force alone still pushed the ground up, slamming it into the crew and damaging the _Delphinus_' structural integrity. "Ninety seconds," Lawrence said, bringing them about for another head-on run. The _Draco_ once again obliged, and their secondary cannons traded volleys as they approached.

At the instant of their passing, the _Draco_ fired off a round of their own torpedoes, the flaming contrails quickly vanishing into the clouds. "Lawrence, opposite turn," Vyse commanded, and the pilot spun the wheel about. The modified pirate cruiser responded eagerly, whipping it's nose around in the sky to turn.

The gulf of air between the two ships grew more, as they began to circle at a distance. Vigoro's cannon belched a third round, which missed completely due to the range, and soon enough Lawrence nodded in confirmation. "Finally. Moonstone Cannon is ready to charge."

"Go for it, Fina," Vyse cheered. The Silvite pulled down the master lever with all of her strength, and the front of the nose blossomed once again. The sleek black barrel was tarnished but straight as an arrow again. Energy convalesced at the familiar point, the yellow light casting illumination onto the pock-marked hull. "Lawrence! Let's go!" Vigoro was also charging up his own cannon, and they were now diving at each other yet again.

"_Yeah_," The Admiral cheered, not intimidated in the least. "_Finally, a real man-to-man challenge! It's all up to who fires first, shorty_!" The distance continued to close, and energy continued to charge as the _Draco_'s automated loader grabbed another massive explosive. "_Bring it on_!"

"Consider it brought," Vyse yelled at the radio. "Moonstone Cannon! Fire! Blow him away!" The noise and light conquered all in that instant. The beam from the cannon shot forth, lancing the remaining distance at literally the speed of light and making contact with the shell waiting inside the _Draco_'s barrel. Not only did it set it off, producing an enormous wrenching explosion inside of the gun, but it melted through the core of the ship, destroying many vital components and many Valuan sailors.

Vigoro's eyes were wide open, as curtains of black smoke arose within the bridge and alarms went off in rapid sequence. "I don't believe this," He exclaimed. "They survived my Vigoro Cannon!" A console to his left burst and he winced. "Belleza!"

At his call, the pink form of the _Lynx_ slid alongside the burning ship, taking on survivors, including the macho commander himself. Admiral Belleza was soberly evaluating the _Delphinus_, which was waiting for her near Mount Kazai. "Impressive, as expected, Handsome," She sighed. "Not even Vigoro could stop you... but I have to. For Valua. For Lord Galcian..." A heavy blast shook her ship. "... What in Deep Sky?!"

A wind was blowing. This wind was so powerful it ripped the fleets of the Tenkou and the Armada apart, the ships tumbling about in the enormous cyclones. The roar left no room for any other sound in her perceptions, as a light-blue mist filtered into the air around her. _Is this... the Blue Wind that King Mikado was talking about?!_ She watched her ships vainly attempt to hold on to the sky, but they were simply not powerful enough and were capsized and swept along.

The source quickly became evident, as the skies began to darken and the roar subsided for a few moments. Out of Mount Kazai shot a beam of blue light, directly up into the sky, with amazing power. Framed by the light was the figure of an enormous, blue metal bird, flapping calmly in front of a small Yafutoman flagship she recognized as belonging to Kangan. "Oh, no," She shook her head. "He's betrayed us, and unsealed Bluheim! That little fool! Quickly, we have to shoot it down before it attacks! All ships, form up and open fire!"

The Armada slowly righted itself, moving into a simple line of battle. Their cannons flickered, and began to unleash their full power. Hundreds of shells burst in the air around the Gigas, which began to move, flying sideways with amazing speed. Any shot that by pure chance reached it bounced right off it's metalloid skin.

It passed right above them, and then the second gust of wind slammed into them a moment later. Again, they were tossed asunder. Several Valuan gunboats hit each other, bursting into flames and spinning around. Debris whipped around in the wind, and Belleza struggled to hold on. Her mind was once again numbed by the almighty roaring. Unable to keep any formation, the Valuan ships impotently submitted themselves to the wind. The Tenkou fleet, seeing this power, began to retreat as well, but were trapped in by a wind blast that ripped their sails clean off the metal masts.

The _Delphinus_ was just far off enough to be stable in the air. Vyse watched Bluheim as it almost seemed to toy with the once-mighty air forces of both sides. "... Well, damnit. I guess it's only to be expected... Fina, can we take that thing down with the _Delphinus_?"

She took a second to consider. "... It is just possible, but it will be difficult. Bluheim is stronger than either Grendel or Recumen, Vyse."

"Well, either way, we don't have much choice," Enrique glared at the giant mechanical weapon of mass destruction. "It's coming right for us, Vyse. We'd better prepare for a fight."

"Lawrence, try to keep up," Vyse said. "Charge the Moonstone Cannon again. Let's hit it right off the bat if we can." Their own personal superweapon began to accumulate energy. Taking this opportunity as the Gigas' attention was split, the Valuan ships began to withdraw, barreling towards the distant walls of the kingdom and safety from the Blue Winds. The Tenkou also began to back off, giving the two powerful combatants the room they needed to fight.

Before Fina could even report the weapon had almost reached full charge, Bluheim dipped beneath them, soaring away again. Lawrence felt entirely clumsy in his efforts to turn, the giant bird outperforming Enrique's flagship. Suddenly it turned around, and its wings began to accumulate blue energy. The Phoenix Ray, as Fina remembered, was its main energy attack, and did significant damage. "Lawrence, hard to starboard!"

The mercenary obeyed instantly, and when the Gigas hit them, it was only a glancing blow. Still, the energy ray sliced a chunk of armor off and stuck them off-balance. Bluheim soared over them, heading out into the distance. "Hit it back," Vyse commanded. "While we can!" The Moonstone Cannon discharged, sending another lethal yellow lance forward. It was a narrow miss, the phoenix-like creature spinning in the air and turning around. "Damn! Everyone, brace yourselves!"

The Blue Winds hit them for the first time full-on, and there seemed nothing to be done. The rear propellers ran up to their maximum power and fought the winds, which eventually won and tossed them around. Everything not bolted down, including the crew and Muraji's prisoners, were rattled about like animals in a huge cage. Vyse cried out in pain as his chest throbbed and he laid against the ceiling.

Eventually the winds relented, and the ship slowly righted itself. "Vyse! Are you ok?!" Aika demanded, running over to him even as the Gigas circled them like a vulture and Lawrence gripped the helm controls.

"Fine..." The teenager coughed. "Think I bruised a rib... but I'm fine. Cannons, return fire!" He looked up. "Shit... he's out of our guns' radius... only one thing for it. Enrique, hit that thing with everything our torpedoes have got!" The prince complied, sending a volley of the explosives high into the sky. The Gigas turned, but could not avoid being hit by one of the missiles. The explosion didn't even tarnish it's skin.

It fired off another Phoenix Ray from below, which penetrated the _Delphinus_' softer underside armor. The beam burst up into the sky, and once again the deck betrayed them. Vyse just kept laying on the ground, and sighed. "Report."

"Luckily, I think our cannon's still online," Fina said. "It's recharging... thirty seconds, Vyse!" The Gigas made several more passes, and the _Delphinus_ vainly tried to set up each time for a shot at it with their ultimate cannon. Finally, they had it in their sights, and the Silvite eagerly shoved the lever down. This time, Lawrence's accuracy was slightly better, and they clipped a wing. Even the Gigas' skin couldn't stand up to a Moonstone Cannon hit, and it made a large hole, melting straight through.

"Nice hit," Aika whooped, but before she could celebrate further yet another dose of Blue Winds slammed into them. It was almost a pathetic routine, the way they were slapped around by their own walls, ceiling and floor, subject to the will of Bluheim for precious moments. The ship's structural integrity began to sag, the walls groaning from the effort of keeping together. This was no doubt a heavyweight fight, and they were barely in the same division as the phoenix.

"We need to find some way to repel the winds," Vyse said. "Ideas?"

"Me and Fina would try and cast Quicka on the Engines to increase their power," Aika suggested. "We'll have to get down to Engineering for the most kick, though..."

"It'll be fine, I'll cover the cannon," The captain nodded. "Go for it." The two teenage girls departed from the bridge, running as quickly as they could manage. The metal hallways seemed to go on forever, as the _Delphinus_ was glancingly struck by yet another Phoenix Ray and then literally slapped by an enormous wing of the beast. They passed through the ruined Mess Hall, where overturned wooden tables and stools littered the torn rug. Most of the windows were blown out, admitting harsh gusts of cold wind.

Finally, they reached the vast room, instantly beginning their chant. "Moons, Give Me Strength," Aika and Fina said together. Blue light filled the room, a much more welcome sight than the blue mists of Bluheim's attacks. Invigorating energy went through the advanced Valuan drive that had been modified with Yafutoman parts, and the engine core began to hum louder and louder.

Lawrence felt the burst of speed, and quickly turned directly to face the distant Gigas. Bluheim sent Blue Wind at them, but this time they tried to hold steady. The newly enhanced engines gave every joule of their power to resistance, and they shook and groaned under the stress. Surprisingly, they weathered the storm, and when the gusts had subsided, they shot forward, directly for him.

"Here we go," Vyse said, seizing the opportunity and the cannon's controls at the same time. "Charging to fire!" The Gigas tried to evade, but the _Delphinus_ was moving much too quickly for such a tactic. It could only wait for the oncoming assault. "Moonstone Cannon firing!"

What an assault it was. This time, it was a hit dead-on in the center mass of the beast, which made it flail it's enormous metal wings in pain. The _Delphinus_ finished her attack, soaring past under it as Bluheim struggled to regain it's ancient wits. Turning, it was now angered, and lunged forward. Even with Quicka, the Gigas was simply quicker, and sideswiped them, ripping the metal crow's nest of the ship right off.

"Well, it's still going strong," Vyse sighed. "Girls! Give us a few Green Spells to repair all of this!" At his order, twin Sacres spells began to mend the complex gold and steel ship. The frame was greatly strengthened, and the wing that was clipped by Vigoro grew back out within moments. "Amazing!" Even though the ship was still damaged, it was in much better condition.

Bluheim circled around yet again, only to catch another torpedo volley. Like the last hit, it merely shrugged off the primitive explosives. "It appears that our cannon is the only thing capable of doing it injury," The prince said with a sigh, still at the torpedo controls.

"Phoenix Ray," The pilot warned, turning to avoid it. With their enchanted speed, they just missed the powerful beam. Having failed to gut its foe, the Gigas swooped around and began to circle yet again. This task was difficult, due to Lawrence's advanced maneuvering as he attempted to bring the enemy back into their sights for the Moonstone Cannon.

Vyse impatiently stared down at the mechanical gage indicating the cannon's capacitor, as it crept upwards towards the optimum range. "Come on..." He groaned, looking out nervously as Bluheim wound up for another Blue Wind. "Lawrence, set us up ahead of time and weather this!" Doing as he was told, he felt the ship once again fighting against the torrential power. This time, the engines cut out at the last moment. They picked up again, but they were already off-balance, spinning around in the air. The cannon shot sliced through open air, hitting nothing but the clouds.

"We can't keep this up," Aika gasped, falling to the floor in exhaustion. "Vyse... this thing's just too powerful! The engines are going critical, and we can barely dent it while it's ripping us apart!"

The teenager clenched his fists and said into the talking-tube, "Don't give up, guys! Remember what we're fighting for! We're fighting for everyone back home... the entire world! We can't die here, so we're going to keep fighting, and we're going to win! Now give me all power to the engines, I don't care what the gages say." The dull roar under him told him that the _Delphinus_' powerful turbines were once again revving up.

In this manner, they did keep the effort up, making several more attacks. Each time the Moonstone Cannon hit it, it did considerable damage, but Bluheim was amazingly resilient. The Blue Gigas continued to strike them back, and only judicious magic and repair skills were enough to keep the hunk of metal barely in the sky. For the tenth time, Vyse pulled the lever, and felt the main cannon fire away. Watching the yellow beam, he shook his head, the dull pain in his side intensifying with each passing moment.

"It seems to be having an effect," Lawrence observed. Their battling had taken them across the sky, almost over Yafutoma's capital city, and back towards Mount Kazai, which loomed with it's icy spiral directly ahead. He wiped black hair from his face as the winds kicked it around, the windshield long since having broken in and sent glass shards to cut into the two men.

Indeed, as Vyse watched it, it flailed about in the sky, and began to slow down. "I can't believe it... have we finally won?" His hopes were confirmed, as it lost all of it's power and fell, limp. Instead of slipping beneath the clouds, it impacted at the base of Mount Kazai, digging a spectacular trench in it's wake and falling into it's own grave.

The Blue Gigas was finally dead. Vyse collapsed to the floor, wiping the blood from his shredded Tenkou tunic, and grinned. "Piece of cake, no?"

"No," Lawrence replied, barely having the strength to slow the battered battleship to a halt before falling himself to the deck.

0-0

The battle was truly won. In the royal throne room, reunited for the first time in years, was the royal family of Yafutoma- Prince Daigo, King Mikado, and Princess Moegi. The nobles around them were in a state of cheer, as were they, and even the golden ornaments of the palace seemed with more luster today. Before them stood Vyse, Aika, Fina, David, and Enrique. The rest of the crew was already aboard the _Delphinus_.

"Brave adventurers from the West... I thank you for saving Yafutoma, and my children," Mikado said, his stately voice echoing through the silent chamber.

Enrique bowed deeply to the throne and it's occupant. "But... it was my country who started all of this... all of the lives lost, the uproar, the civil war sparked amongst your people... it was all the doing of the Armada. I am profoundly sorry for this, my Lord."

"Prince Enrique... please, bow not to this old fool," Mikado sighed. "Daigo has explained everything to me. Let me tell you, you are not to blame for the actions of your country. Without your intervention, without your duty and honor, your friends would not be alive, and we would have never known such brave heroes in our ancient lands."

"Thank you for your understanding," The blonde said, smiling gently, "But we have merely won a single battle. Even now the Armada is regrouping to get the other Moon Crystals. Until they are all secure, and my mother's mind amended, this war is far from over."

"I see... very well. I shall pray to the Blue Moon each day for your wellbeing, and that of your crew and friends." He nodded, and an advisor stepped forward, producing the Blue Crystal. "Take the Maga Sphere with you, with my blessing, Captain Vyse. I now see that you are the most worthy to keep it safe from the Valuans."

"Wow, this is great... hey, wait, what's going to happen to Kangan and Muraji?" Vyse asked.

"We don't have the death penalty in Yafutoma," Daigo said. "So we're going to exile them to Tenkou Island, for the rest of their lives. A little time alone with each other will make them reflect upon the evil of their ways, and try to improve themselves. Or they'll strangle each other. Either way, justice is served." The prince had a hearty laugh, and everyone joined him. "Hey, that reminds me, I heard your ship isn't fully compatible with our Polarity Drives, so you've been using old Pressure Drives. Just in case you find a way to make it work, have this." He held out a large, old scroll. "This contains all the intel needed to make your ship soar or sink. In a good way."

Daigo personally walked over to them, handing a grateful David the scroll. The Vice Captain nodded. "Thank you, Prince Daigo. This knowledge will be useful in our fight against the Armada. Our engineer will wet himself when he sees this back home."

The prince stepped back up to the throne, joining his sister and father. Moegi looked down for several seconds, as if she had something to say herself. Finally, she let it out, and exclaimed, "Father, I wish to go with the _Delphinus_' crew back to the West."

Mikado blinked. "What?"

Moegi hid her face behind her large sleeves yet again, a burgeoning personal habit for the princess. "According to our Westerner allies, events of great importance are happening elsewhere. You and Daigo have pledged to protect the people of the kingdom from here... and I want to help by gathering information abroad."

Mikado hesitated for a moment, but Daigo's wanderlust and spirit was intrigued by this. "Well said, Moegi. I'm proud to have you as a sister." He looked over towards Enrique. "Prince Enrique, this is a personal request. Please... take good care of my little sister."

Enrique took a step forward, drawing his sword and putting it into a traditional salute. "I swear on my life to protect her, without a doubt."

"Prince Enrique..." Moegi smiled, blushing slightly. "Thank you."

"Oi, I bet he'll 'take care' of her-" Vyse found himself with four elbows in his gut simultaneously, the strongest of which being that of the blonde Valuan prince. David only had one word of warning for him: '_keelhauling_', as he glanced back towards Mikado, while Fina blushed and Aika giggled. "- Never mind, then."

"Alright," David nodded. "That's four down, and only two to go. After repairs are complete on the ship... um, again... then we'll set out back home. If Fina's right, all we have to do is go east, and we'll end up home."

"Until then, let us relax," Vyse said. "And take in the food. Lots of food. Saving your nation gave me a big appetite, and I wonder..."

"Don't worry, I think we'll have enough food for you, Captain," Mikado chuckled. "At least for one day, although on the second we might have famine on our hands."

"If there's a food riot, I'm sure we can count on Daigo to protect us," Moegi giggled.

"No promises," The prince reminded his sister. "I like me a good riot, too, you know."


	10. Arrival

**Authors Note:** Oh man, I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I have no excuse. I know I'm still quicker than a lot of authors, but... meh. Sorry again. Please don't chastise me on it, I know, I know. X.x Please enjoy this. I will finish this, I swear on it. Eventually.

* * *

Chapter Ten- Arrival

The bridge of the ship had already been blessed with fresh sheets of glass, made from special Yafutoman molds which would make them more durable for future battles. The banner of the Blue Rogue crew had supplanted that of Kangan's exiled family, watching over the metal command deck. Two men stood in the room, perhaps two of the most mysterious and complex out of Vyse's entire crew. David crossed his arms, leaning against the wall to the left of the pilot. "So, Lawrence. You could have done it. Pretty good odds we wouldn't have made it over to board the _Delphinus_ if you were intent on slipping away. You coulda helped the Armada, and we'd all be brown bread somewhere below the clouds. Richest man this side of the Grand Fortress, too. It was almost perfect, if Bluheim hadn't intervened. So I'll ask you. Why? Why didn't you do it?"

Lawrence had been expecting the question, especially from the erstwhile Vice Captain, who was especially sharp in his wit and words. He pondered his response for several seconds, never looking over towards him. "Maybe I think what Vyse is doing is work that needs to be done. Maybe I didn't fully shake off my emotions back then on the_Alejandro_... or maybe the money just wasn't quite good enough for me to betray an employer."

"Yeah? And what happens when you think the money _is_ good enough?" Carefully measuring each other, they both made sure to give not an inch in their manner or bearing. Information was the deadliest game for an air pirate. The intentions of either were shrouded in their own mists, well hidden from prying eyes.

"Well. That'll certainly be an interesting day, won't it, sir?" Although he couldn't see the helmsman's face from his angle, he was sure it held a clever smirk. David was unable to keep a similar smirk from visiting his own visage.

It was all the information he needed to know. For the moment. "Yes, it certainly will. Carry on." He pushed off against the wall, turning and exiting the bridge. Lawrence was in his element again- completely alone with his own thoughts.

David LeCroix, meanwhile, was headed for the Medical Bay of the _Delphinus_ to check up on Piastol. The deadly woman was still healing from Vigoro's squeeze, which had nearly broken her into two pieces. _Even Angels aren't invincible in this world, apparently_. He paused outside the glass double-doors, when he saw Vyse already inside, and Piastol sitting up in her bed. A thick bandage was around her thin waist, and she looked worry-worn, but otherwise well enough.

The other occupant of the lobby was the small blonde child, Maria. She looked up at David, taking a reflexive step away as her large eyes surveyed him. Although she had always been introverted, the Vice Captain noted a particular edge to her reactions. He said nothing, entering the room. "Pardon the interruption," David said. "Vyse, I'd like you talk with you about the repairs to the ship. And Piastol..." He nodded subtly to the door. "... You have a guest."

Vyse glanced from the wounded teenager, over to Maria, just visible through the glass. He nodded, and silently followed David out of the room. As he passed Maria, he made sure to flash her his confident grin and give her the traditional thumbs-up sign. She exhibited no reaction, quietly and slowly shuffling in after their departure down the hall.

"Hello, Maria," Piastol said quietly. She was still leaning up in her bed, propped against two large white pillows and looking over at the child.

"A-are you ok?" She asked, voice quieter than the wind even as she looked down. Maria rocked slightly on her small heels, nervous. A flood of feelings rushed through her numbed mind, as the events of the previous days weighed upon her.

"I'm recovering well," She said. "Doc says that by the time we set off I'll be fully healed, with magic treatments and all that... Maria?" She saw through the girl's blonde locks a single tear work it's way down a pale face. "What's wrong?" In reply, she ran over to the girl's bed and hugged her tightly, careful not to touch the bandaging at all.

She continued to sob, but managed to choke out a mildly coherent sentence. "I was worried... you got beat up by that... tall man... and he was... _bad_..." She snuggled further into Piastol's teal medical gown, salt water from her eyes forming darker spots in the material. "And everyone was scared..."

Piastol raised a long, dexterous hand, and petted the child gently. "_Shh_, Maria, it's all over, it's ok now. We stopped the bad man, and everyone's going to be fine. See? I'm still here, I'm still whole, and I'll always protect you and my friends..." Compassionate words, so unused to her normally frigid lips, poured forth at the sight of Maria's emotional wreckage. "I've gotten beaten before, but I never let it stop me, just like Vyse. I'd still stand up to him, to protect everyone, especially you."

"Me?" She meekly echoed.

"Yes. You are my friend, right?" Her minor pain and discomfort was not even occupying the back of her mind at the moment as she smiled a genuine smile, something also so rare to her. This smile carried those affectionate emotions with which they were intended, loaded with positive and not negative. "Then all I need to heal right now is to know that you're praying for me." She glanced up at the metal ceiling. "Ok?"

Maria nodded, and blinked. "Piastol... can I stay... here tonight? With you?" This was the most she had ever spoken at one time, and from his study in the other room, Doc missed not a word of conversation from the ajar hatch. He knew well about the small girl's recent string of nightmares. _What she needs is some comfort right now... and Piastol's doing a wonderful job. Not even hatred can turn the humanity from someone_...

"Sure," The former bounty hunter replied without hesitation. "There's room for two on this bed." At her behest, she climbed up onto the white sheets. Doc couldn't help but think of the irony. _Even if she doesn't know it, she's connected to her sister on a deep level, even now_. _I can only hope that everyone will help her continue out of her shell. Things are looking up for us_.

0-0

"You? Come with us?" Vyse blinked, echoing the statement of the person standing before him. The crew had already gained four Yafutomans in the course of their adventures, and Lieutenant Takako was looking to be the fifth. "Well... sure! That'd be awesome. We could use more experience."

David nodded, crossing his arms. "Consider yourself hired. The immediate pay sucks, but we are helping to save the world, so.. balance that however you like." He turned around, the conversation finished, and headed for the bridge.

Naomi smiled slightly. "Thank you, Captain. Kirala the builder informs me that it will only be two more days before the _Delphinus_ is fully repaired."

"New paint, and everything," Vyse proudly agreed. "We're finally leaving the morning of the third day. We've already spent near a lunar cycle in Yafutoma already. I'm looking forward to the final banquet of 'goodbye' from your people." She left his company, and he headed up to the main deck. Khazim had given his men a rare day off from training and maintenance, and Marco had swabbed it already, leaving it's metal surface totally barren.

For a while, he leaned against the rail, looking into the bright, deep sky. It was a barely cloudy day, and the benevolent Blue Moon was glowing fully overhead. Yafutoman ships passed around and towards the capital city, the air full of the foreign civilization once more. When soft yet strong arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, he didn't need to think about who it was. "Hey."

"Hey," Aika said, snuggling into his back. "What's up?"

"Nothing, now. All our affairs are sorted, only some manual labor left to be done... and then we're out of here." He relished the feeling of her warmth pressed into him. "Yourself?"

"Been thinking," The redhead replied. "Now that our time is once again mostly free, maybe we could... oh, _everything_." Her tone of voice, the proximity of her breath to his ear, the way her developed body pressed with more insistence, sent a shiver down the teenager's spine. "Been a while now, and we hardly make out at all, either. A girl has certain needs, and I know you do too." Her gloved hand left it's place on his upper shoulder, trailing itself down him methodically.

It took all of his will to draw breath and say, "W-wait, Aika." Physically, it was about to be very obvious what he wanted in a moment.

"Hm? What's wrong?" She stopped, which made him infinitely relieved and more than a little regretful. He turned around, their eyes meeting. "Is this about Fina?" There was something in her voice that he couldn't identify, a deep understanding.

"On the mark," He replied. "She's been... distant lately. I don't know what it is..." When she began to laugh, he became more than a little confused. "Um... Aika? What's the funny?"

"You can't tell?" She said, and then looked him straight in the eye again. "She still feels like she needs something, and I have a feeling I know what it is. Our relationship is growing, as is mine to her's, but you and her haven't been that close at all. You haven't even done it yet." Such a frank talk about these things still brought a light tinge to both of their cheeks, but they ignored it. "She sees you and me being so intimate, but you seem to be almost trying to avoid her. These feelings, are still so new to her, she's lost in the woods."

"Um... it's just..." Vyse sighed. "Truthfully? I was trying to give both of you a little more space. I feel like, you know, now that I got all of this responsibility, I should be acting more mature."

"Oh." Aika paused for a moment. "... Well, that wouldn't be such a horrible idea, but this is the wrong time and place to try it out. We need all sides of the triangle connected. And I mean that in the most dirty way imaginable."

"But..."

"Neither of you are virgins, I know that personally," The redhead said in exasperation. "Come on." She thought for a second more, then leaned in and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, and there they stayed for minutes before finally, with reluctance, breaking apart. "I'll wait a while longer, if that's what it takes. Go to her. She's in the observation deck." Before he could offer any further arguments, she had already gone below the decks again.

"Aika..." Vyse smiled. She was loud, brash, profane, and other various things which might give people bad impressions, but she deeply cared about Fina and him. _I'll need to make it up to her one of these days_. He made haste to get to the observation deck. When he arrived there, Fina was sitting and gazing out into the sky, lost in her own thoughts. The light filtered through the large windows, making her soft golden hair glow and accenting her pale beauty. "Hey, Fina."

Fina blinked in surprise, looking up at him and blushing. "H-hello Vyse. What is it?" In reply, the teenager walked closer.

"Are you ok?" He asked, sitting down next to her as their eyes met. Neither found the ability to look away for quite a while, and Fina drew breath to speak.

"I'm fine." Vyse's smile was rueful. Fina was a truly horrible liar, her earnest nature making deception an abstract principle. She had not convinced anyone, much less herself, who now looked to the ground.

"Come on," He wheedled, his voice thick with care. "I haven't been close to you lately, I've tried to give you some space... and so it took me a while to notice it. Aika saw it right away. I want to help you, Fina, and I think I know what's wrong."

"... Why?" She asked quietly. "All of these feelings... things were so much simpler back on the Shrine, back in isolation. Now... I'm not sure, but when I see you and Aika together without me, I get this... tight feeling..." She gestured, bringing her closed fist up to her chest. "I thought that you didn't like me as much as her..."

"It's not a contest," He pointed out. "I like both of you, a lot. That includes you, Fina." He reached out, taking her smaller hand in his own. "I'm sorry. I did the wrong thing... which isn't really a first, you know. We're all just human."

"Really?" Now their eyes met again. "You... do?"

"I swear," Vyse replied reverently. "I've been waiting a while to, because I thought it was respectful, but I want to show you how much I like you."

"Hm..." Fina seemed troubled by something else. "Vyse, I still don't know much about... sex, even after Aika showed me. I don't think I'm quite ready yet... not now." Hesitation seemed the natural route for the shy girl. "Is that ok?"

"It's fine," The teenager said. "I'll let you try and sort everything out first. You think I could get a kiss from you, though?"

"Alright," She nodded. "Um... how do we-" He cut her off, demonstrating in detail this Arcadian procedure. Sliding up to her on the large seat, he wrapped an arm around her and drew her close in an instant. As his warm breath rolled over her face, she blushed, and her eyelids naturally slid down. Their mouths connected, and it felt as natural as the breathing she was too stunned to do.

Eventually, he pulled away and smiled. "Besides, we have nothing but time. Come see me later about what you decide." He looked over to the doorway, where a loud thump had just rumbled through the room. Belle had dropped a small cannonball on her own foot, but wasn't reacting to it, staring at them slack-jawed. "Um... hey."

"Am I interrupting?" She asked, clumsily retrieving the explosive shell.

"Not at all," Vyse cheerily answered, stepping forward. "What's up?"

On the deck of the ship, the thump was almost nonexistent. Robinson was out there, staring up into the sky. The former shipwreck was going to miss Yafutoma, his first taste of ground-based civilization in literally years. He was, however, eager to return to Sailors' Island, where his daughter was holding down the fort for the family tavern. Polly stood silently next to him, hand-in-hand. Occasionally, the shipwreck had long spells of thought like this, and was not used to heavy social interaction yet, preferring the deck or his quarters to the city.

"You know," He finally said, "I'm... really glad you rescued me, Polly. I never thought I would be free again." The man turned towards her. "When I left long ago... I wasn't thinking of you at all, or of Anne. All I wanted was the fame, the glory of crossing that Rift... You gave me a second chance, one I didn't deserve at all."

"Don't say that," The cook shook her head, taking his hand in her own. "Robinson, trust me, you deserve everything I've given you. You're the most wonderful, adventurous man I've ever met. When we get home..."

"About that," He interrupted her. "Polly, I want to take Anne from Sailors' Island and stay on with the Captain. I owe him more than my life. It's all up to you, though, but I'd love to feel the wind against my sails once again. We're working to stop Valua and save the world. I can't think of a better reason to travel."

She fell silent for several moments, and then smiled. "Somehow I knew that was coming. Robinson, I've learned nothing if it's not that your place is moving through the air. Let's go for it."

"... That's it?" He blinked. "I was expected you to yell and scream and drag your feet."

"That was my first instinct, that it was too dangerous to ever set foot on a boat again. But... some risks are worth taking. And like you said, this is a second chance. Let's do things right, this time." She leaned in, and kissed him. He was not averse to this, kissing back with the pent up passions of years of mindless despair and want.

Something hit him on the head with a wet smack, and he paused, raising a hand up and feeling the white material. Glancing upwards, he saw the offending bird soaring away and glared. "Son of a-" Polly couldn't contain her laughing fit. "- Disgusting. _Te oido_..." He hoped it wasn't an omen.

0-0

Vyse was in a good mood. Unlike most times, this good mood had definite causes. His crew was whole, together, and larger than before, his ship was repaired and outfitted to be more efficient, they had liberated half of the deadly Moon Crystals, and the skies were clear as a bell. He stood with his Vice Captains to either side- David with his arms crossed in satisfaction, Naomi stoically surveying the bridge. Lawrence manned the helm controls as usual, while Marco and Pinata were joined by Maria, looking out the main viewports. Enrique, Aika and Fina handled the controls to either side.

The cheers of the people on boats around the island and on the city pierced the soundproofed room, thunderous. Vyse grinned. "Looks like the locals definitely like us. Can't say I blame them. Let's see... we freed their country, defeated an ancient superweapon, disposed a tyrant, and kicked Vigoro all the way back to Valua. What does that make us?"

"Big Damn Heroes, if I'm not mistaken," David said impassively. "Conditions are great, our fuel tanks are all topped off. Everything's ready to fly. Shall we get underway for familiar skies?"

"Yeah," The teenager nodded. The anchors of the ship lining it to it's temporary home had all been drawn up or cut. "Lawrence, fire up the engines. Take us out of Yafutoma, on a course due east." The mercenary complied, pulling up the throttle. The deck beneath them shivered as the engines roared.

"Goodbye, brother, father, Yafutoma... for now..." Moegi said, standing on the deck and waving kindly to the people assembled to cheer them on.

The_Delphinus_ rose from it's perch, into the sky. The metal propellers mounted in the back of the flagship spun up, thrusting air backwards and the ship forward. The sleek and proud airship got fully underway, moving quickly over the large ocean-like body of water in the center of the kingdom and the numerous small island towns around it. They passed many Yafutoman ships, military and commercial, and exchanged salutations.

The ship soon passed over the ancient and crumbling walls that marked the edges of the kingdom, and continued east. In the very distance was always the slightest black tinge to mark the direction of the Dark Rift, a place nobody on the crew hoped to ever go to again.

"How far do we have to go?" Aika said, still slightly nervous that they would manage to fly off the edge of the world. She looked up at the sky, but there was still only a few scattered clouds to mar the glorious daylight blue.

"Who knows," David replied. "I'm just glad we don't have to ford the Rift." The sojourn continued for several hours, the crew taking turns performing menial tasks and trying to keep themselves occupied. Many took quick naps in their quarters. The calm of the travel was interrupted only once, as Cupil had attempted to eat a small warhead for the _Delphinus'_ secondary guns, and Belle was making quite the racket about it.

The sky above seemed to go on forever, and Aika was relaxing on the deck. She had long ago begun to ignore the rhythmic drills of Khazim to his gunner crew, laying with her back against the metal. The thrum of the engine below her was as comforting as the mild breeze sweeping across her tanned skin. After so long of laying down, she was attracted to Marco's voice. "Hey, guys, it's a white reef on the horizon!" Blinking, she sat up, gazing forward past the _Delphinus_' nose. In the distance was, indeed, a band of tinged silver. "I think it's the Silverstone Reef!"

She got up to the bridge, where Vyse was leaning over to the viewport and squinting through the skyglass. "That's definitely it, guys." The Silverstone Reef had been known for ages as the most impassable of the gigantic sky reefs in history, it's fabled white rocks rumored to be special moonstones. This was yet another natural event that blocked their path, and Vyse was in no mood to let a stone reef stop his quest. "Let's hit the turbo and plow through."

"Wouldn't recommend that," Naomi said, shaking her head. "Sir, those stones have dashed any ship, no matter how reinforced, who has attempted to cross. The _Delphinus_ might survive the trip, but it might not. I say we find the hole that the Valuans blasted and head for that."

"Yeah, ok," Vyse acknowledged. "Let's head north and hug the reef, since the Valuans probably came in along North Ocean so nobody could see them." Lawrence turned the ship, and they began to cruise alongside the massive swirling reef. Within minutes they spotted land on the other side of the massive reef- lush, green, forested lands.

David smirked. "No doubt, that's the land of Ixa'taka. Never thought I'd get to see it... or any of this... with my own eyes. Vyse, we'll still need to get there, but I think we've proven the world is round."

Fina smiled. "This is exciting. I'm glad that I was able to help you so much."

"Yeah," Aika agreed. "Especially since the only other way back is through the Dark Rift. I guess Captain Dyne was wrong about something else, Vyse: the shortest distance between two points isn't a straight line. Turns out it's opposite the way you want to go."

"Huh?" Vyse blinked. "Akia, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure there's something we got right. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled. It shouldn't be hard at all to spot a gigantic, gaping hole in the rock walls." They passed above Ixa'taka's border, and were now adjacent to lower North Ocean. The weather began to darken slightly as they continued, approaching nearer Valua. It was beginning to get overcast, smatterings of rain falling through the air or pattering onto the metal surfaces of the _Delphinus_. Lawrence turned on the running lights of the ship just for precaution. Beams of yellow light swept forward and around them, lighting up vast patches of the sky and the ship's hull.

It was, indeed, visually obvious. As subtle as most Valuan landscaping, the enormous hole was large enough to hit three ships abreast through. When David took into account the sky reefs' 'healing' ability, where magnetic fields drew more rocks in and filled them within hours of any break in the formation, it was even more impressive. Everyone offered their comments on just how immense the hole was, even as the ship passed through it and into more familiar skies.

"So, straight across and to Crescent Island?" Lawrence asked.

"Hm. We're in no particular rush, and we haven't seen Ixa'taka in at least three months. Let's head that way, Lawrence." By his Captain's will, the mercenary turned the ship and pointed it towards where logic dictated Ixa'taka would be- south. The weather gradient began to lighten, but the rainstorm still swept through most of North Ocean.

The distant form of a ship appeared, almost level with them. "Incoming," Vyse called out. "Sailboat." He pulled out a small sheet, and couldn't match it with any known Black Pirate ships. It's sails weren't black, either, which put them at some ease. "Hm... wonder what a sailboat's doing out here. It's moving away, though... oh, they're turning. Looks like they've spotted us."

"I imagine our ship would give a few people some heart conditions," Enrique spoke up. "Despite all, it is a Valuan battleship, even with it's special management. We should give them a wide berth."

"At least we won't have to worry about traffic in our way," Vyse shrugged. "Alright. Continue on course, ignore them... what in the name of the Moons is that?" He pointed out towards an odd floating structure that also came into view through the developing storm. On top was an enormous balloon in the shape of a very familiar head. "... Is that... Gordo?" The connoisseur pirate had mentioned getting out of the raiding business, but he hadn't been taken seriously at first. Nevertheless, a gigantic inflatable in the shape of his profile was holding up an entire structure in mid-air, with decent dock facilities that held several ships at rest and anchor.

Naomi was more stunned than anyone. "Your Western ships look... weird, Vyse."

"That ain't no ship," David snorted, highly amused by the appearance of Gordo's newly-opened Bistro. "That's proof positive of the redeeming powers of food, Naomi. Apparently, Vyse kicked the ass of some air pirate around here, and so he did the most natural thing imaginable. He gave up piracy and opened a floating restaurant."

"Impeccable logic," Pinata giggled. "I wish all of our opponents thought alike."

"Let's stop by," Vyse grinned. "Might as well have a bite to eat on 'solid' ground, and I'd love to see him in person. This is literally larger than life. The _Delphinus_ is a little too big to fit in the docks... hm, I'll take the _Sacres_ out on rudder power." He leaned over to the talking-tube. "All hands, if you're hungry, meet me at the launch bay at once." Looking up, his boisterous mood was only improved by their discovery. "Hey, Fina, Aika, allow me to treat you to a romantic diner."

"The guy serving the food once tried to kill us," Akia reminded him.

"Why does everyone get strung up on the minor details?" Vyse sighed, shaking his head. "Never look a gift Looper in the mouth, Aika." He failed to mention the other part of that joke- to hop into one's ship and blow whoever gave you a Looper for a present to Deep Sky with your cannon.

_Might ruin the mood_.

0-0

The man was a swashbuckler by nature; an explorer, a free spirit in every sense of the word. He rested against his finely-polished wooden chair, soaking in the sounds of the Bistro. The chink of plates from the kitchen, the sizzle of the moonstone-powered grills, the patter of rain against the windows and roof, and the chatter of fellow patrons all interested him immensely. His hair was jet-black, mostly restrained, as it was long, however a rogue strip had gotten loose of his goggled headband and fallen over his face. His complexion was tanned and yellowed by many hours under the suns of Nasr and other nations. He wasn't heavily muscled, but rather had a more lethe frame, and was even taller than average, appearing quite lanky. He wore a long, flowing orange tunic over a black undershirt, with long yellow cuffs and scarf, along with simple black pants, boots, and gloves. At one side was holstered a revolver pistol, of an old and yet trustworthy design, and a knife enchanted with blue moonstones was sheathed under his tunic.

He also enjoyed the meals that Gordo, former black pirate, served. Having only visited twice before, he was already hooked. A smoked sky-fish sat, dissected and half-eaten in places, on his fine place before polished silverware and a spotless white tablecloth. A cup of fine loqua rested to the side, completing the meal in true sailor fashion.

His name was Domingo, and he was an almost universally famous figure. A treasure-hunter, he reveled in discoveries and new advances, always seeking adventure and paths less traveled. When Vyse the Daring came into the room, flanked by several members of his crew, he was suitably interested. _I've heard a lot about this man. I thought he was in the region of Nasr and Cape Victory... curious. _Observing them out the corner of his eye, his thought process was shattered by one of Vyse's crew's startled declaration. "You!" He blinked, turning, and his grin grew immense.

"Hello, Lawrence," He said, pleasantly and seemingly without a single care in the world. This contrasted quite radically with the dark, mysterious, and controlled aura that the mercenary threw up around him. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"I thought you were dead," Lawrence continued, in surprise.

"Hm? A friend?" David asked, stepping forward. "Hold on a tic, I recognize that face... Domingo the Explorer! Hey, Vyse, it's the most famous guy to discover stuff, even more than you yourself."

"Oh yeah?" Vyse smiled. "Hi there. I'm Vyse, Blue Rogue and captain of the _Delphinus_. I assume you're also part of our order of thieves and brigands?"

"Not technically," Domingo said. "But I've often worked with Blue Rogues. Lawrence, I do believe the job that my friends hired you to help me with was for Blue Rogues, right? In the Temple of Pyrynn?"

"Definitely." The pilot nodded. "I just flew the ship. When he didn't come out in a long time, I left. Figured he'd went the way of all other explorers into the temple before you, Captain."

"I walked," Domingo explained. "To the nearest town... Maramba, I think. Twenty kilometers. It was quite a journey, especially considering I had just escaped a few very nasty buggers inside the temple itself... but, oh, well, that's ancient times now." He smiled. "I guess you're here for a meal, right? I can tell you the food here is just impeccable."

Gordo came up to the counter. "Yeah, I'm getting rave reviews, Mr. Vyse," The portly man chuckled happily. "Actually fairly glad you got me out of the piracy game. Getting a little old for it, time to settle down and all of that. Welcome to Gordo's Bistro, home of the finest food in the Five Seas."

Vyse smirked. "I'd love a menu." He was provided one, his monster appetite kicking into overdrive at the sight of so many well-illustrated food options. "We have plenty of gold, guys. Pig out and sit down." This got a resounding cheer from the pirates, who were ready to eat themselves. Even Polly was amongst the crowd, curious to taste a chef who might rival her for skills.

As Gordo's chefs got to work with the large, quick order, the crew took seats. Domingo joined them at a larger table, glad for the interesting company. "You know," He remarked. "I hear you're in the discovery business a bit too, Captain."

"Just a bit," Vyse nodded. "We found a few around Mid Ocean, but not a lot around here. We are making a lot of new friends, though, in our travels. We've recently circumnavigated the world." He dropped this large word like it was nothing, although to Domingo it was quite weighty.

"Circumnavigated?" He echoed. "To fly completely around? But... the world's flat."

"No, it's round," Belle insisted, the energetic gunner almost back to her old self already. She smiled happily to at him and he smiled back to her kindly. "Like a cannonball. We've been to the lands under the Blue Moon, too, and through the Dark Rift!"

"Not in that order," Polly nodded, arms crossed over her chest. "And we can prove it, too. I know you probably got an eye for women, so you noticed our friends, Kirala and Naomi." She nodded to the two girls next to her. "Check out their eyes and clothes. Ever seen anything like it?"

"Huh?_Watashi_?" Kirala blinked. "Hey, buddy, to me, you're the foreigner," She said to Domingo, who merely grinned genially. Naomi bowed to him, her foreign katana visible in it's sheath besides her Tenkou officers' robe.

"Yes, I suppose I am. Your story is fantastic, I must say, but anything's possible in this crazy world." The orange-clad explorer paused for a moment. "Hm... you know, sounds like you make some wonderful discoveries indeed. Captain Vyse, maybe you could use me on your crew? I'm handy with a revolver, I know plenty of stuff, and I can be an excellent lookout." _Plus the storm has probably damaged my already junker boat, heh. Best keep that detail to m'self until the deal's done._

"Hey, we've been needing a permanent lookout," Rodgers remarked, looking up as purple-clad goons of the former pirate brought plates of food out. "Ah, delicious!" She began to dig in, like everyone. Their tastes buds definitely agreed with her assessment, leaving them all in awe of their former enemy's culinary talents.

"I think I'm doing a fine job," Luke said, chewing through a leg of an unidentified meat that was surely more delicious than it's name would imply.

"Yeah, but it ain't your main job," Vyse nodded. "Consider yourself aboard." He put out his hand, and shook it fairly with the swashbuckler. "We both like exploration, I think we'll get along just fine, Domingo."

"Hm." Lawrence made no further remark of displeasure. He didn't care for Domingo's personality at all, one of the factors that had contributed to his act of abandonment on the sands before the Temple of Pyrynn. He was enthusiastic and strong-willed, and loved trying to strike up conversations with him. He didn't much care for conversations, if left to his own devices.

David, however, noticed, and turned to him. "Oh, come on, he's gotta have sharp eyes from all that famous treasure-hunting and whatnot."

"Treasure?" Aika echoed. "Count me in. You got a plurality now, you know." She didn't know what it meant, but it had 'plural' in it, and sounded good enough. Surprisingly to David, she had used the word in a mostly correct fashion, and he saw no need to fix her sentence like usual. "_Damn_ this food is just awesome!"

Gordo laughed, and yelled over, "Glad you like it! Second course coming up double-quick!" He turned around and rubbed his hands. "Ah, lovely money, piles of it from the rate they're going. It's just so wonderful..."

His reflections on just how great piles of gold _could_ be were sharply interrupted by a harsh rumbling, following the roar of an explosion. "What the..." He looked around. "What happened?" None of his chefs appeared to know the answer. A second explosion rocked the ground, and everyone who was standing struggled to keep standing. "Someone's attacking us!" _Who would attack a floating restaurant? Hope they don't hit the balloon or we'll need to go to propellers to stay afloat_.

Vyse got to his feet, drawing his cutlasses. "Damnit, I was eating, too," He whimpered, starting for the door as those members of his crew who could fight moved to follow. They also prepared their own weaponry, and even David readied his firearm. He got into the radio with the _Delphinus_. "This is Vyse to the Skeleton Crew. Is there a ship firing on us?"

A second later, Doc's voice filtered in through the static. "_... Not that we can see. Looks like a huge metal... thing... it's on the docks, though, blowing away ships_." A third explosion shook the entire Bistro. "_Ah, damnit! There goes the _Sacres._.. she's aflame! Why is that guy burning all the ships at harbor_?!" At least it was raining, or the fires would spell troubles for the entire wooden structure.

"Let's get out there and stop that punk," Aika hrumphed, taking the lead and opening the door. She stepped outside, and instantly was pelted by sheets of chilling rain. Usually she would be very uncomfortable, and she was, but she put this out of her mind in preparation for a fight. She looked over, easily finding the huge, purple and black metal machine that spewed black smoke out it's tailpipe. It blasted it's enormous cannon of an 'arm', sending another small lifeboat flying into flaming pieces with a thundering boom.

A petulant laugh perforated the air, coming from a blonde-haired teenager standing next to the machine. "Go, Gunarm," He jeered it on, "Keep blowing this shit away! Ha! Weaklings, all inside during the storm. When we're done out here, let's blast through the wall and give them a personal visit. I bet a place like this has ritzy- hey, who are you?!" He demanded, as Gordo and several Chefs joined Vyse's crew and Domingo in advancing on him.

"I could ask you the same thing," Gordo said, clearly angered. "You're busting up my patrons' ships, young man. You got any idea what you're doing? I'm Gordo the Round, Black Pirate."

"Former black pirate," The teenager chuckled. "Now you just flip burgers, fat-ass. I ain't afraid of you. Now, who are you all? You look like... Blue Rogues, I think. I hate Blue Rogues..." He clenched his fists.

"Really now?" Vyse crossed his arms. "Vyse, of the _Delphinus_. This is my crew. The feeling's mutual. Now, tell me who you are before things get violent."

"Don't threaten me, 'Vyse'," The man sneered. "I'm Loose Cannon Lapen, and I'm the toughest guy this side of the Silverstone Reef. This is my creation, Gunarm. If you don't give up all of your valuables now, I'll have it blast you all to Deep Sky and back." The machination looked quite capable of it, shuddering from the internal combustion reactions that fueled the war machine.

David cocked his gun. "Sorry, Lapen, but you're a bounty, listed by the Sailors' Guild as of three lunar cycles ago today. 6000 Gold. That's an offer too good to refuse. Give up or we'll take your head to redeem the bounty."

Lapen had a good laugh about that. "Man, you guys all need a serious lesson in respect. Alright, Gunarm, let's do this!" He leapt into an open hatch on top of the machine, slamming it shut again and sitting down inside of the advanced control cockpit. The machine revved up, it's huge metal grate on the front flowing rainwater over it's steel surface. The Blue Rogues also made ready, raising their weapons. David was already contemplating ways to overcome the menace.

"Fina," David said. "When we have that Gunarm pile of scrap thoroughly off-guard, have Cupil block that exhaust pipe. If I'm right, the backwash should force him out of the machine, maybe even damage it." The Silvite silently nodded in agreement.

Three small cone-like yellow Sprockets appeared out of hatches aboard Gunarm, floating with rocket propulsion and forming a line in front of the larger machine. They definitely did not look friendly, and laser-cannons appeared over their cones, charging up power. Gordo squinted. "Mr. Vyse, me and my men will handle those little things. You go after the big guy." He cracked his pudgy knuckles. "I'm not gonna let some teenager rip my restaurant apart, so soon."

"You got it," Vyse grinned, stepping forward. Before he could even get in range, Gunarm started it's first attack. A dozen missiles burst upwards like torpedoes, spinning in the rainy, cloudy sky. Their trails of fire turned suddenly above them, and he said, "Incoming!" It's cannon also shot, although it missed and the explosion struck the wall of the restaurant, wrecking it instead of them. "Woah!"

Aika stepped backwards. "Everyone! Purple Magic! Let's freeze this bozo in the rain!" Because of the precipitation, it would make forming magical ice a much simpler task. She knelt, purple light appearing in the familiar ring around her and casting violet illumination across her frame. "Moons! Give Me Strength!"

David looked up. "Here come the torpedoes, guys! Aika, shield dome!" Following the Vice Captain's order, the mage girl induced a pattern of thick, curved ice to appear, suspended in the sky above them. It had reached over two feet thick when the missiles all hit the dome. The explosions blossomed in the gloomy air with tremendous roars. Melting huge craters into the large shield, the missiles each left their marks on the magical ice. However, none reached them directly. "Nice," He complimented her. "The enemy's attack was completely nullified!"

"Nullify this, bitch!" Lapen roared, targeting him directly. The cannon shot glanced off of David's shoulder, although due to it's mass and speed, it still ripped a bloody chunk out of him. The man cried out, shoved backwards onto the wooden planks of the harbor as a splatter of blood fell around him.

David gritted his teeth, and looked up to Fina, who had run over to heal him. "No, Fina, use Cupil now. We have to stop him... god this stings! Someone hand me a fuckin' Sacres Crystal!" His pistol had clattered to his side, forgotten in the rainy battle for a moment.

Meanwhile, between them, the Sprockets and Gordo Chefs were dueling. The sprockets deftly avoided the large frying-pan swings of the purple-clad former pirates, but their lasers were deflected by the enchanted cooking instruments as well. Neither side was a factor, and both were largely ignored for the continuing fight, as Aika tossed enormous shards of ice at Gunarm. The ice clattered against the steel armor, to no effect.

Vyse glared at the huge metal machine. "Alright, you bastard... you hurt my friend. I'm going to pay you back, just in kind." He ran forwards, his blades beginning to glow with the sheer willpower that the pirate invested within them. The bullets of Domingo's revolver bounced off the armor, too, as well as any other attack anyone could think of tossing his way, but this did not deter him.

"Hold Of The Wind," He said, staring a regular wind-attack, but catching it with his blades and twirling it around, making the very winds around him grow and react into an increasing funnel. "You won't be going anywhere!" The funnel suddenly surrounded Gunarm, trapping it in.

"B-big deal," Lapen scoffed from inside the machine. "Just cause I can't move... I can still blast you!" Two machine-guns mounted atop the unit opened fire. The hails of bullets, however, were caught in the wind, whipping about like fireflies or ricocheting back to hit Gunarm. When he tried his rockets and cannon, they all had similar effects, only denting his creation when they bounced back.

"Now what?" Luke asked, he and Rodgers having stood back and supported with magic their allies the entire time, although his sword was still drawn. He currently stood over David, personally defending him just in case.

"Watch," Vyse simply said, and turned back to Fina. "Is he in there?" She nodded. "Then, all we have to do is watch."

For several minutes nothing happened. Lupin chimed in again, this time far less angry and far more subdued. "I'm getting bored..." This sentiment was echoed in his crew. David had been healed, standing up again, although he was patient with the new plan. Lapen slowly noticed a change in the air, and coughed, breathing deeply in. "Smoke! Wait, what's going on?!"

"Your exhaust pipe is clogged by our little friend," David explained. "Within minutes you'll pass out. Half an hour of that industrial smog will be fatal. Surrender while you're still conscious enough to do so, or else." He added for extra emphasis, "I mean, the bounties are all dead or alive."

Fina raised a hand to her face. "We aren't really going to... are we?"

"_Not really_," Vyse said, aside, to her, "_But tough talk gets results. Especially with punks in bad straights, like this. Watch_."

"... Okay. I give." Lapen popped open the hatch to the machine, beginning to climb out. Vyse nodded in satisfaction, withdrawing his special attack as the winds subsided. Cupil appeared, his job done, and covered in soot and ash from the exhaust. It squeaked several times in annoyance, as if angry at being used like that.

"Hey, at least you can survive it," David said with a grin. "As for you, Lapen... well, look at all the holes in this place. I wonder how you'll pay Gordo back... hm... wonder how much that Gunarm would be worth, especially for each individual component when we take it apart..."

Sometimes Vyse thought David was too sadistic for his own good, or the good of his enemies.


	11. Demons

Authors' Note: Alright, fuck it. I'm sorry about this, but I literally cannot keep to any kind of squedule any more. I'm going to finish this, but the timetables are all going out the window. No kind of regular updates will be happening until further notice. To my many readers... I'm so honored. I never thought my works would get so popular, and it's for you that I will finish this story, no matter what. So stick with it, things are just going to be a bit slower for a while. In the mean, enjoy the fruits of my lazy and troubled labour! )

* * *

Chapter Eleven- Demons

Everything had, in the end, been worked out to agreement. For the damages, Gordo reimbursed his customers fully and had the surviving boats repaired free of charge. This money, of course, came straight from Lapen, who did not have it. After pawning off his standard sailboat and the components of gigantic Gunarm for significant money, he owed almost nothing to Gordo, but also found himself without transport. In order to buy a boat, he would need ten-thousand gold, which, at his current wage, would take him well over a year to amass. It was like being in jail, only the warden was trained in the arts of Black Pirate 'persuasion'.

Gordo had furnished them, to replace the _Sacres_, with another boat, the _Askar_, which was about the same wingspan, draft and performance. After finishing their meal and sorting out affairs, the crew of the _Delphinus_ had elected to remain in the area of the Bistro for the storm and the night, and arrive at Ixa'taka in the morning. Domingo, as agreed, joined them as a Watchman and could be seen most hours vigilantly at the Crow's Nest, or socializing with off-duty crew in the Mess Hall.

Tomorrow came, and they set off. Considering they were already in the lower region of South Ocean, Vyse calculated it was a matter of a few hours with the _Delphinus_' speed until they hit the forest kingdom.

Fina tasted differently today, Aika idly noted as she sat, gasping in unison with the Silvite, over her in the observation deck. "Banana?" The redhead asked with a giggle, lipping her lips and swallowing lung-fulls of precious air. "Where'd you get that?"

"Rodgers let me borrow a little," Fina said, her face beet-red and eyes averted as usual. "Do you... like it?"

"It's certainly different," Aika nodded, uncertain as to how she actually felt about it. "But you taste lovely, no matter what the flavor is, Fina." To accent her point she landed another kiss, this time on her forehead in a gesture of affection. The Silvite giggled slightly.

These make-out sessions had been happening once in a while, whenever Fina worked up the courage to ask. (Aika had more than enough libido for both of them, and Vyse too, if he ever decided to join them.) Not only was it an exceedingly pleasant way to pass what would be otherwise boring transit time, but both girls felt closer to each-other each time.

"_Hate to interrupt your licky-licky,_" David's voice declared brazenly over the all-hands circuit of the PA system. "_But Aika and Fina, you're both needed on the bridge. Domingo's spotted pirates ahead. All hands report to action stations, it looks like our intimidating appearance won't be enough this time._"

Even Aika had the decency to color slightly in the face after David stopped talking. "That guy's got _juevos_, that's for sure."

"Assumably so, yes," Fina giggled, sitting up as the redhead dismounted. Both were still breathing heavily as they adjusted their outfits and tried to straighten their hair back into place. Aika had a hell of a time re-braiding it, as her hair was down, but with Cupil and Fina's help she managed. Once they looked decent enough for their fellow Blue Rogues, they quickly made their way to the bridge.

Vyse looked over as they came in. "What took so long?" He asked, then immediately sighed. "Never mind, tell me later so I don't pass out again. Range?"

"Less than a league, and still closing fast," Lawrence replied tersely, looking over towards the nearby radar display. "Entering bridge visual range." A speck indeed appeared upon the lighter distance of South Ocean. "Either pirates or Valuans, no Ixa'takan ship can accelerate like that."

"Black sails," Domingo shouted from the Crow's Nest to the bridge talking-tube. Vyse's stomach churned, as sails of black cloth almost always were a sure sign of the malignant Black Pirate faction.

"A second contact at maximum range," Lawrence announced. "Almost over the Ixa'takan coast. It appears to be in pursuit of the first ship... it's metal."

"We might have stumbled upon an Armada sweep-up operation for some local scum," Domingo suggested, eye peeled to his fancy spyglass. As he once again gave the approaching ship a good, long look, he blinked. "The configuration looks like an enormous glider. The hull is a rusty-red... there's a pattern on the sails. I'll try to identify it. It's a winged skull with... a cigar..."

"A cigar? What kind of a pirate puts a cigar... on his... sails..." Aika gasped. "Gilder!"

"David, get me a hailing frequency," Vyse ordered. David, equally shocked by the announcement, walked to the radio station. He began to work with the controls, adjusting the frequency until the line cleared of static. Silently, he yielded the mic to the teenager, who spoke up. "_Claudia_, this is the _Delphinus_. Gilder, is that really you?"

Seconds of silence passed, the only noise the background hum of the radio. Vyse was about speak up again when a painfully familiar voice sounded off. "_Vyse?! I thought that was the _Delphinus._ Long time no see_," The wandering pirate laughed heartily.

"Gilder," David called over from behind Vyse. "It's Dave. We're picking up a Valuan ship following you. What kind of mess have you precipitated this time?"

"_Hey, Dave. Oh, you know. The usual. Armed conflict between two nations, with us having a bit of fun and doing good work_. _We can talk more after take care of this goon cruiser... with you here it'll be short work. I'll bring the_ Claudia _into broadside, you charge forward and keep them from getting too many hits on us. She's built for speed, not endurance_."

"Figures," Aika grinned. "We meet him again, and soon as we do, trouble's up. That's Gilder all right. Belle, Khazim, get all your guns ready for battle. It's Valuan season."

"_Best game in Arcadia_," Khazim replied with a chortle. "_Alright, boys! Load all canister! Explosive shells, let's rattle their filthy bones..._"

"Lawrence, head-on attack," Vyse ordered. "Let's hit them with the Moonstone Cannon. In the event of failure we'll Alpha Strike them, and then turn around and keep doing the same. The _Claudia_ will try not to hit us, I assume. Let's do it, crew!"

The metal flagship passed the _Claudia_. The sailboat's large black cloth was flapping in the strong breeze, and their fins brought their side to bear even as rows of hidden cannons appeared. Gilder opened fire impatiently, sending volleys of Pyri cannonballs around the_Delphinus_. David ran over to Moonstone Cannon Control and yanked the charging lever.

The enemy ship was coming into clearer view on the horizon, framed by the first inaccurate broadside of the Claudia's. It was indeed a standard battle cruiser, with the monotone gray plating only interrupted by a single green stripe over it's bridge tower. It's ball-turrets turned slightly and belched fire, their own cannon shot soaring into the sky.

Their nose blossomed outwards to admit the familiar black muzzle of their superweapon. Yellow light coalesced to a heated point in front of the ship. Valuan near-misses rattled the ship, but no direct hits were scored by their gunners. Enrique clutched the sides of his control panel tighter, holding on as a concussion shell shoved them to one side. "No damage," Lawrence reported. "On firing course for the S. Cannon."

"Charged and ready," David announced, staring down the approaching ship. Indeed, a large sphere of the deadly energy rotated, barely contained, in front of the ship. Air was shoved to either side like it was a large plow or wedge, and sparking currents flowed around the_Delphinus_' aerodynamic lines.

"Fire," Vyse commanded. David pulled the firing lever, and felt the ship rattle beneath him. The single shot was all it took, the lance of pure energy only needing a few moments to gut the enemy. Flames and explosions bloomed over the dull metallic hull as the ship was severely damaged. "Direct hit!"

"Either their engines will quit, or most of their crew's dead," David said.

"_Negative. That's one of DeLoco's Remote Battleships, David. Fully automated. All you gotta do is hit the bridge with a powerful blast and the computer will go down. Poof_," Gilder announced over the radio, as he sent another barrage. They joined their cannons' fire in, as red lines crisscrossed the ship for a second.

Then the _Delphinus_ passed over the Valuan cruiser, and instantly Lawrence slapped the wheel. Everyone was tugged to the left as the ship veered so sharply right that the engine groaned. Although it wasn't at the moment important, the distant rocky coast of Ixa'taka appeared on the very horizon.

Even though the DeLoco remote ship's cannons kept firing, they were now targeting the _Claudia_, whose small frame allowed them to evade most of the shot as the _Delphinus_ came about. In no time they observed the damaged enemy ship in the front view-screens again, their prow pointed outwards like a huge gun at the craft. "Our Moonstone Cannon needs to recharge," Vyse said. "But our regular guns are good to go. Guys, you gotta aim for the bridge! Fire at will!"

The secondary coil cannons opened fire first. Small streams of explosive pellets swiveled around, tracing diamond lines in the skies around the ship. Belle tried to be accurate, and several cannon-balls hit the conning tower, but never any direct hits. Khazim's main batteries shook the ship to it's core with his fire, as he joined in.

"_Hard to be that kinda accurate,_" The Nasrian complained up the talking-tube.

"You're right... Vyse, I recommend we use some of the torpedoes for a precision plunging-strike. It'll be more than enough to take out the enemy's bridge," Enrique suggested.

"We'll need to herd them onto course to get accuracy... Gilder, fire all your cannons to your left of the enemy. We're going to fire to either side above and below, and the computer will evade the only way it can... right into a torpedo volley." Vyse grinned, turning to the talking-tube. "All hands, make ready." The _Delphinus_ had come about again, barreling towards the Remote Battleship. "Fire all guns!"

The_Claudia_ and the _Delphinus_ opened fire simultaneously. The rounds of intentionally-inaccurate explosives created a network of fire in the sky around he damaged remote ship. The computerized airship, unsure for a second by this new tactic, continued returning fire. This time, it's target was the less-evasive Delphinus, and they sustained several minor hits that blasted against their thick armor plating. The computer noted the launch of torpedoes, but it was a secondary concern against the thick cannon fire directed at it.

Deciding upon the obvious corse, the battleship began to sideslip right on it's propellors, and the Blue Rogue flagship soared close past it. Vyse clutched onto a control panel tightly as the ship was rattled- a direct Valuan hit had created a large, smoking hole in the side of the ship. Luckily, according to the displays they had only hit empty storage space.

By the time the computer detected the torpedoes plunging directly for the bridge of the ship, it was far too late to evade. DeLoco's remote-controlled warship was struck by every one of the half-dozen explosive charges. Blossoming towers of fire shot into the morning air, spraying metal debris high and low.

Without any control of it's function, the ship's engines went haywire. The propellors either stalled and slowly spun down, or began to whir at such a rate that they snapped off of their housings and fell. Like a glider with no wind, the ship began to capsize upwards. The core of it's engines overloaded, and the ship was almost split in two with the blinding reaction. Smoke billowed forth in enormous torrents that clearly marked the sinking ship's halves. Deep Sky quickly swallowed all evidence of the ship, leaving only the dissipating vapor trail.

The crew let out a cheer and Lawrence turned them, towards the distant form of the _Claudia_ in the sky. "_Yet another Valuan ship bites our dust_," Gilder chuckled. "_That was some fine work, everyone. We can dock while we head to Ixa'taka. I'd like to see you face-to-face_."

"Go for it, Lawrence," Vyse nodded. The _Delphinus_ turned back towards the distant coastline and set out at a cruising speed. The_Claudia_ worked to catch up, matching speeds and settling into the air alongside. Expertly, the pirate crews of both craft sent lines along, attaching them together. Slowly edging sideways in their journey until they were literally touching at the wings, Gilder set up a boarding ramp to the main deck and quickly embarked.

Several of the crew, led by Vyse and Gilder, was out to greet him. "Gilder!" Aika ran over to give Gilder what any observer could describe as a flying glomp attack. The older pirate chuckled and kept his balance, as the redhead quickly released him. "It's good to see you again!"

"Likewise," Gilder nodded. "David, I see you've kept everyone in tact... not even a finger missing."

"You're the one who usually lacks tact," David shrugged. "I did what I could, but we've already been through two revolutions, as you've heard, so far."

He laughed. "Yeah. So are we. As you can tell, we've been operating out of Ixa'taka for a while now, about a lunar cycle. _Clara_ joined us with her _skillful_ tracking." A noticeable vain appeared on his forehead before he continued, in a much lighter tone, "So we're helping another Blue Rogue, named Centime. All of our crews are the _pro tem_ airforce of the Ixa'takans, as they fight against the newest Valuan invasion."

"The Valuans are back?" Fina blinked. "But, with Grendel disabled, what is their objective?"

"Good question," Gilder sighed. "Mostly revenge, although they probably like the extra slave-labor and natural resources. I'm not the biggest fan of the slave trade, as you can tell, and we get to keep any cargo we get from enemy forces." The pirate grinned. "We asked the Nasrians for help, but Admiral Karzhai doesn't have any ships to lend us right now. He's got his own hands full, is the word from the front."

"Everyone's decided to start rising up," Vyse observed keenly, "After we visited there and showed them how to kick Valuan ass. No offense, Enrique."

Enrique nodded. "I came along because of the unjust policies of my country that warrant the... erm... 'ass kicking'." He flushed nicely at his own boldness. For the prince to even say a single cuss-word out of duress was amazing.

"Well... is that _Piastol_?" Gilder had noticed the lanky and beautiful white-haired teenager hanging at the back of the group and trying not to look conspicuous. He blinked. "As in, the Angel of Death? Supreme Hater Of All Things That Wear Glass Eyepatches?" Instinctively, one of his gloved hands went to the pistol holstered in his belt.

"Yup," Aika replied. "She's on our side now." Such a blithe and simple statement seemed completely out of touch with the situation, Gilder thought, but he stood down nonetheless.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you, and what I tried to do... in the past..." Piastol bowed her head in shame, closing her lonesome eyes. Everyone looked from her to him, as the pirate's stoic expression gave away nothing for a few seconds. "I was so misguided, so full of lies and misconceptions that nothing seems as it does now."

"If Vyse spared you, then you have to be worth something," Gilder said, nodding. Then he paused again. "Vyse, your choice in crew continues to amaze me. Domingo?" He looked up to the Crow's Nest, where the orange-clad watchman frantically waved to him. Gilder waved back.

"We met Domingo a few times, but always ever in passing to my knowledge," David filled the crew in. "Except one time where we helped him fend off some monsters in North Ocean."

"Any more surprises for me today?" Gilder asked. Vyse pulled out the Blue Moon Crystal from his pocket. The brightly-polished jewel gave off a powerful aura of calm blue that backlit everyone around it. All eyes were naturally drawn to it as if by an urge. "By the Moons... that makes three, doesn't it? Wait, that means you've been to the lands under the Blue Moon..." He stared at Kirala, who stared back steadfastly. "... Alright, I admit it. I'm impressed by your newest exploits, Vyse."

"Thanks," Vyse replied with a grin.

The_Delphinus_ and the _Claudia_ reached Ixa'taka. The high, mountainous coasts prevented most access, but for the wide channel of open air. It was like the South Dannel passage, and had in the past been defended by the large Iron Net. The Armada had taken it down after their first defeat at the hands of Grendel and the Blue Rogues months ago, and ever since it had been the only safe route to the lush continent beyond. It was wide enough to admit the linked ships ten times over, and they quickly cleared the massive sheer walls defending the kingdom.

Two parts of the continent were in either side of the viewscreen- both covered by vivacious forests. As it was almost Autumn, the leaves were a plethora of hues, including green, yellow, and brown. "Wow," Aika gaped at the trees, "I've never seen so many trees during Fall before!" Other crew members were also suitably impressed, and even Gilder hadn't quite gotten over the vista. The breeze brew eagerly, slapping stray leave clusters into the metal armor of the_Delphinus_ and across the glass screen.

Stepping over to the helm controls, Gilder said, "You're Lone Wolf Lawrence, right? Nice to meet you in person. Anyway, the Valuans still do for the most part own the skies, so keep your eyes peeled to the radar screen. We should be able to make it to Horteka, though. After a few fights the Armada hasn't patrolled up north very frequently. Here's the map of the continent." He handed the folded parchment to the pilot, who nodded.

"According to this, we should reach Horteka in just a few hours," Lawrence said. "Domingo and I will keep our eyes peeled for any more enemies." The _Little Jack_ had taken longer to voyage across the vast forests of Ixa'taka, but the _Delphinus_' engines far outpaced the fishing vessel. Drachma's craft, and his quest, seemed like a lifetime ago to the Blue Rogues now commanding the flagship.

"In the meantime, we can catch up some more," Gilder nodded. "I'd love to hear all about the Blue Lands. I'll tell you more about the latest war, too."

0-0

Like every Ixa'takan ship with a sense of self-preservation, this one was literally nestled amongst the jungle trees. The ship was organic, but also looked oddly advanced for their culture, with metallic reinforcements and a powerful engine. It was shaped like a Mid Ocean sailboat, having been designed from the wreckage of one that had been destroyed crossing a Sky Rift eighty years ago. "What is that? I've never seen a ship like that before!" She leaned off the iron railing, hands tightly gripping the old skyglass.

"Is it Valuan?" The ship's crew was three young teenage girls. They were each slightly on the short side, but adorned in the full vestments of the Ixa'Ness Village warriors. Ixa'Ness was famous as an amazon village that forcibly abducted fine males to mate with them, and their Demons were the closest the aboriginal culture came to piracy. Tara, Lira, and Pera were renowned as the finest warriors the village had ever produced, despite their fluttery natures.

The three sisters all had the flaming-red hair and unnatural eye color, along with the darker skin, that marked them as inhabitants of the Green Lands. They wore modest war-paint, and each had a special weapon. Pera's composite bow fired arrows enchanted with magic that would cause a direct hit to put anyone to sleep, Lira's staff caused minor explosions upon a rough impact, and Tara's shorter totem-staff spat a jet of fire. "Ooh, we haven't found many good Valuans yet, but there were a couple nice ones." Lira giggled.

"Hard to tell," Pera admitted. "It's attached to another ship... the _Claudia_. They're flying side-by-side, headed right for us." The _Claudia_ was familiar to the Demons, and three of Gilder's crew were having surprisingly good times in captivity at the moment.

"Gotta be more Blue Rogues, then! Let's get aboard and see if there's any good ones," Tara recommended. "We haven't hit anyone in days and I'm bored."

"The ships are going to pass almost directly above us," Pera sighed. "Perfect. We'll slip up and attach to their bottom like a barnacle. Their radars will never pick us up. Climb up into the deck and then we can start prospecting." She smirked devilishly and licked her lips. "Fire up the engine and get ready, girls."_I love my job_.

0-0

Domingo's eyes were sharp, but he never saw it coming. One could hardly blame his silent surprise as he felt the prick of the arrows in either shoulder from behind. He cast a sluggish glance over and saw the teenaged Ixa'takan, but before he could even open his mouth he had stumbled and fallen. Luckily, he landed face-forward, and did not push the arrows in, although by this point he probably felt less lucky. "What's with the orange motif?" Pera made an audible sound of disgust. Lira and Tara joined her in the Crow's Nest, and the three girls sized him up like a piece of meat. "And the hairstyle."

"It's unique," Lira objected. "I think it's cute. He's got a nice body, too. Probably a treasure-hunter or adventurer." She giggled. "Probably really lively, he was even able to move after you shot him."

"Good point," Pera admitted. "... Eh, we'll probably have too many, but let's put him aboard. Lira, handle it. Me and Tara will keep going." She cast a glance downwards. Far below, on the_Delphinus_' main deck, a small red-headed boy and a burly Nasrian were sweeping. They were the only ones out that she could see right now.

Lira easily picked up the lanky watchman and slung him over her shoulder. The burden was quite awkward only because of her size relative to his, but she managed to rappel down the backside of the warship all the same. The two other Demons pulled out Slipara crystals and dropped them from the heights above. The glowing-blue crystals both hit the deck and shattered, releasing a momentary flash of light.

When the light cleared, they were both already on the floor. The last traces of blue mist dissolved from around their heads back into thin air. Marco and Khazim had been taken by complete surprise. The raiders immediately rejected Marco, as he was merely a boy, but Khazim gave them pause. "He's too big to carry," Tara eventually concluded with a sorrowful sigh. "Even with all three of us, I think."

A gasp alerted the Demons, who looked over to the opening hatch. Belle stood there, her large eyes wider than usual in shock. "Who are you?" She asked, her tone laced with alarm.

Pera surveyed her for a moment, and then huffed. "Get a load of that girl, Tara. She'd probably be taller laying down." That warranted a childish giggle from her sister. "A pity she's not otherwise very pretty."

"Not very pretty?" Belle echoed, blinking.

"Hurry up and shoot her before she raises the rest of the crew," Tara said after a moment. Pera drew her bow and her smile became several shades more malicious. "We don't really need this one alive, she's female, after all." The petite gunner, usually very vacant of mind, found a clarity with this threat on her life.

She slammed the hatch shut, and turned to flee down the metal hallway. Of course, being Belle, she forgot to lock it, and within moments she had pursuit behind her. Well-aimed arrows whizzed centimeters past her head as she squealed in terror. She rounded the corner, coming almost face-to-face with Luke and Rodgers.

"What in the sphincter of Teodora are you playing at out there?" Luke asked in mild irritation. "We could hear you all the way down in the Rec. Room... what's wrong, Belle?" The Blue Rogue could see the clearly hasty and distressed short girl had something important to say. Belle swallowed gallons of desperately needed breath, even as another arrow appeared in the metal wall to the side. "Woah!"

Pera rounded the corner, a few short meters away from the three air pirates. She skidded to a halt, and a moment later Tara joined her. "What, more? Hey, look, he's cute," Pera declared, pointing at Luke. The red-haired marine at least had the decency to flush in surprise. Rodgers, on the other hand, flushed with rage and confusion. "But look at the old hag." Yes, it was now mostly murderous rage.

"And who the Moons are you?" She demanded, crossing her arms. Her eyes darted to the drawn weapons, and she took a step back. "Shit."

"We're the Ixa'Ness Demons, grandma, and we're here to take all of your strong men back to our village," Tara declared, hands on her hips. Belle stopped behind the two other Blue Rogues. The teenagers drew their swords from their sheaths and dropped into a combat stance.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about those," Luke snapped his fingers once. "David told me about 'em when we crossed over here... this ain't good. Belle, go raise some hells and get reinforcements down here, just in case." He added, more to himself than anyone else, "Not that we can't handle this." She did as Luke bade, turning and running up the metal staircase with all of the subtlety and reserve of a Gigas.

Belle found herself outside the medical bay, and decided to rush in. "Doc! Doc!" The middle-aged doctor of the _Delphinus_ was treating Polly for a minor burn from cooking. He looked up in surprise as she burst through the glass double-doors, almost shattering them. "Trouble!"

Piastol, in her job as his assistant, was in the storage closet. She poked her head out. "What kind of trouble?" She asked in her own almost-monotone. She brushed a stray lock of snow-white out of her face idly, her hands wrapped in teal gloves.

After a few attempts, she got out enough coherent thoughts for Doc to understand. "Damn, we're under attack. I'll call the bridge and alert them to the situation. Polly, no, don't get up, wait here, I doubt you'll be much help in a fight, no offense. Piastol, you _will_ be a help, get down there please with all possible speed." His ability to be calm with such tense matters, as a doctor, helped immensely in this situation. The women nodded, Polly resting on the medical bed again while Piastol ran over to her waiting scythe in the corner of the room. "Bridge, this is Doc. We've been boarded by hostile pirates... I think. They're down here in this section."

Lawrence's response was terse and clipped, as usual. "_Acknowledged_." Doc reflected for a half-second on how odd it was for the crew to be so used to reacting to such an event. A small explosion rocked the floor slightly, and he blinked. _What was that? Nothing good, no doubt_.

Piastol was already half-way down the stairs, and when she got down into the hallway, she paused. The two Ixa'takan girls stood over the burnt bodies of both pirates. Both were moving, but it was in pain and Luke let out a weak groan. Pera huffed. "_Weeeeeak_. Pathetic. We won't even take this one... what, another heifer come to 'stop' us?"

Never one for words when actions could do all the talking for her, the former bounty hunter readied her mighty scythe. Seizing the offered initiative, she charged straight for them with a furious battle-cry. Caught slightly off-guard, Pera almost lost her head before she dodged. The sisters rolled backwards in unison. The archer snap-shot a sleeping arrow for Piastol.

The arrow never made contact, as Piastol had avoided it deftly and almost without thought. She kept running for them, never relenting, as was her style. Her strikes, quick and deadly as lightning, were proving a challenge to parry. Tara's wooden staff already had several bites from her silver-moonstone sharpened blade. In response, she raised the totem-face end and a gout of magical flame spat from it. Piastol twisted backwards to dodge, feeling the intense ambient heat near her.

Another arrow soared by, inches from it's mark. The arrow slammed hard against the far metal bulkhead, the force alone snapping it's wooden shaft in two. Pera prepared to fire yet again when a deafening boom echoed in the confines of the hallway. The bow flew from her and flames scorched her hands, making her cry out.

Gilder's Daccat Custom pistol was smoking from the discharge, and his hand was steady as he aimed again. David's footsteps heralded his joining the fight a moment later, his own lesser-quality firearm loaded and ready. "Not you again," Gilder sighed.

"It's the handsome air pirate," Lira whistled. "Let's take him, while we're at it. I'm not so keen on the shaggy one, though." A visible, angry vein appeared on David's temple and he cocked his gun.

"I can handle this," Piastol said coldly, staring with murderous eyes at the two teenaged Ixa'Ness Demons. Her silver moonstone-tipped scythe seemed to glow as her emotions became even more intense and focused.

"Sure you can," David replied, "But we want them alive. Vyse and the others are getting ready to hunt down the third one, but I wonder where-" Lawrence ran to join them, red-moonstone long-sword clutched in his gloved hands. "- There you are. Only late when you're under attack... I like these odds better. Alright, you little pricks, surrender now and save yourself an ass-kicking."

"As if," Pera scoffed. "Moons, Give Me Strength!" Ruddy orange light filled the room, followed by a blinding burst of white. Flari was neither a Yellow or Red spell, but one that used elements of both. Fusion Magic was a rare and failure-prone branch of the arts that few could successfully use. The Flari spell rendered the four Blue Rogues completely blind for several key moments. Gilder groaned and shook his head, but it was to no avail.

When contrast and vision returned to David, he was the only one left standing. "Son of a bitch!" The other three all had the tranquilizer-arrows sticking out of them. He looked over and saw Pera getting ready to fire on him. He gulped. The Vice Captain knew full-well that he wasn't a good fighter at all, and that without support he didn't stand much of a chance.

Out of pure reflex he unloaded his entire clip into the air. The smell of gunpowder permeated his senses as something exploded. One of his shots had, through pure luck, intersected the arrow in it's flight, and it was incinerated. The other bullets struck the archer, who wasn't prepared to dodge it. The explosions knocked her backwards into the wall with a hard clank. _Holy shit, I actually got her!_

His elation lasted until he saw Lira staring at him. Her eyes resembled Piastol in a disconcerting fashion, and she said nothing, but readied her totem-staff. His gun was, of course, empty, but her staff didn't need to reload.

A cyclone of magic fire roared for his blood, consuming oxygen around it in its deadly hunt. He threw himself to the wall, which caused pain to shoot through him as he landed just wrong on the side. The other side felt a different, burning pain. The flames melted through cloth and blackened his skin as he yelled in pain. He looked back and found that, indeed, a large part of his shoulder and forearm was burnt.

His pistol had also been melted. He looked with dismay upon the heated wooden handle, all that remained of the firearm. "So much for good luck." He drew in a sharp, tight breath and fought to control the agony. Lira followed up, charging straight for him even as more flames accumulated in the totem-staff's mouth.

"Work on your aim," Gilder said, raising his weapon and firing three times. The first shot halted the teenaged Ixa'Ness in her tracks. The remaining two exploded, shoving her against the near wall. She hit it with a terrific thump and then fell loosely, like a rag-doll, to the deck. He looked over to David even as the pistol slipped from his gloved hand. The Daccat Custom hit the imprinted deck, which was still bloodless from the fight. "She hit the coat, man," Gilder chuckled. "Well, at least most of it did. I'm still feeling pretty... drowsy..."

"Nice shots for being half-drugged," David smiled raggedly. "Get some Curia Crystals onto the others. They can tend to our wounds, and tie up those muppets." He leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he was sitting upright. "You know, why am I always the one getting burnt or stabbed? Happened at Gordo's Bistro just yesterday."

"Occupational hazard, as always," Gilder said. He reached into the expansive spaces in his blood-red coat. Retrieving several Curia Crystals, he tossed them into the air haphazardly. They shattered when gravity dashed them to the floor, releasing warm flashes of light. The Curia magic sprinkled about in tufts of luminous dust, covering each person and dispelling the magical tranquilizer. Piastol and Lawrence stirred immediately. Luke regained more consciousness through his severe burns and coughed loudly.

"Looks like we missed it," The pilot stated taciturnly. He took out several Sacres crystals and began to work almost instantly upon the wounded. The Green Magic removed the Ixa'Ness arrows from them and evaporated burnt tissue in a matter of moments. Piastol quickly bound the two teenagers, making sure to tightly restrain them.

"Ugh." Rodgers stated astutely.

"Hey, we're alive, right? Nobody's hurt that Green Magic won't fix," Luke said once he was intelligible enough to be understood. "Even if this hurts like a mother-bitch." He shook his head. "The real surprise was how easily they just beat us. These girls are like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Demons," David sighed in relief as Sacres flooded through his wounded body.

0-0

"_Confirmed, incoming is friendly_," The radio crackled. Standing observant in the concealed wooden tower, Hans squinted through his father's old binoculars. The approaching black dots in the sky resolved themselves into the welcome sight of the _Claudia_. "She's guiding in a Valuan ship... wonder if they captured it or something?" By the way the ship was built the budding engineer could tell it was for someone of high status.

Two metal skiffs had deployed from the Valuan ship, each one conveying several people. They were moving lower, almost under the treeline, even though the Valuans rarely patrolled the airspace.

Hidden below the thick canopy was the city of Horteka. It was the last surviving population center, buried within concealment to avoid the wrath of the Armada. The platforms had been expanded a dozen times over with metal reinforcements and cheap materials to accommodate the refugees from the far-flung parts of the kingdom. The island it rested upon was elevated slightly from the main continent, giving them a sweeping view in all directions.

Given the word, Ixa'takan warriors climbed to the enormous, shaded branches of the main tree. They pulled out glass tubes made by Centime and filled with a luminous chemical, and waved the glowing beacons about. Guided in by the clearly artificial light, the transports touched down quietly against the hardened bark 'dock'.

"Quetya has returned," One of the bronzed soldiers declared, upon seeing Fine between Aika and Vyse. He bowed low, and a moment later the others all followed suit. "To save our people once again!"

Gilder smirked, reclining against the lowered sides of the skiff. "The King told me about what you did the last time. They were getting ready to build you a statue when the Armada struck again."

"Please, it's ok, you don't have to bow to me," Fina said, blushing heavily at the adoration.

David chuckled. "Aw, come on Fina. You did some pretty heroic things last time around. And they're just looking for a repeat performance." He leapt out of the boat, landing on his feet and brushing himself off. Enrique and Gilder, who had rode with him, disembarked as well. The teenagers climbed out from the other boat, followed by Naomi.

"Hm, a Valuan," One of the hunters judged instantly, seeing the distinct, fair features of the prince. The crest of his royal family on the side of his tunic didn't help things. "What is this?"

"He's with us," Vyse explained hastily. "This is Prince Enrique. We all want to speak to the King."

"Of course," The man replied. He appeared to be leader of the group. "We have also summoned your other Blue Rogue allies. His Majesty wishes a full meeting of our commanders to decide our next action. We will guide you to the King." With that, they set off down the branch. The hunters went slower than usual to allow the pirates to match pace, guiding them through Horteka. The city's complicated layout had only gotten worse since the inflow of new people and structures.

The people across the platforms caught sight of the new arrivals and cheered them on in their foreign dialect. The jovial atmosphere of the citizens caught on and Vyse found it hard not to smile and wave occasionally. Naomi was once again going through near culture-shock. "This is a city?" She asked. "And look at the people! Looks like they got baked in an oven."

"They're probably 'what's with the squinty eyes and the scales coming out of her chest?'," David remarked idly. Gilder nodded in agreement with his old friend. "I was a little taken aback as well. What really struck me was how primitive their tech was, even with Centime the Tinker helping them."

"Can't wait to see Centime again," Aika smiled.

"Centime's out," Gilder said. "Went north-wards for some reason. He said he'd be back soon, although that old junker he's pretending is a ship won't get him anywhere really quick." The quirky inventor was best left to his own devices, Gilder had found. Best not to interfere.

They arrived at a familiar clearing. Up ahead on the platform was the wooden structure where the village elder had used as the seat of his government. He had happily abdicated it for the King's use, and the royal court had been set up there. Guards stood vigilant watch on the purple-ribbon door, and even stared down the pirates as they passed. "Friendly folks," Vyse commented.

"Well, I am a Valuan," Enrique shrugged. "Bound to cause a few cross looks here and there."

"King Ixa'taka, we have brought the pirates," The warrior declared, bowing again with his men. The young monarch was throned on the other side of the room, surrounded by priests and advisors. Isapa stood beside his king, looking over the new arrivals. To one side, at a wooden table, sat Clara and Cheryl, Centime's wife. Clara looked up in joy at Gilder, who returned a somewhat less enthusiastic look, but neither said a word.

"Welcome back to my kingdom," The monarch said, smiling. "I am glad to see you return, Vyse, with all of your friends safely. It seems that even as the shadow of Valua returns, so do you to vanquish it."

"We were just passing through, and figured we'd check in," Vyse admitted with a sheepish smile. "But now that we're here we'd be glad to help you again. It's what Blue Rogues do."

"Indeed. Your comrades have been of great help to our resistance with their great ships," The King nodded. "Gilder tells me that he has come up with a plan, and now that you're on our side again I'm sure things will go smoothly."

Gilder spoke up. "DeLoco's leading the invasion again. The little psycho's brilliant at technology, but he's got no common sense and he values his flagship like it was his wife. Plus, most of his forces are automated battleships, which will make this much easier to do. If we can sneak into his headquarters, we can take him hostage. He'll be forced to order his troops to retreat, or else, and we can leave him as an Ixa'takan hostage."

David nodded. "Simple, to the point, and suicidal. I like it. But how are we going to sneak in? I'm guessing DeLoco's got a sizable security boost since last time. At least he learns from his mistakes."

The Blue Rogue grinned. "Don't worry. I've thought of that, too. Remember that boat that the Ixa'Ness Demons attacked us in?"

_This time we'll put a stop to DeLoco_, Vyse thought to himself, clenching his fist. _Good_.


	12. That Old Familiar Feeling

Chapter Twelve- That Old Familiar Feeling

Two days after a band of damned Blue Rogues _sentenced_ Lapen to forced labor for over a year just for having some fun, something notable happened. Amidst the usual stream of upper-class snobs, smelly fishermen, and drunken sailors appeared a friendly-looking middle-aged man in white garments and with the familiar large round nose. It was his 'father', Centime the Tinker, and if anything was set to put the rebellious teenager in an even worse mood, it was him. Of all the nerve, he had to show up here in the midst of his darkest days! The old coot was probably going to taunt him about getting beaten by a girl and her toy.

Centime, of course, recognized instantly the black sheep of his large adopted family. Despite Lapen's status as a wanted criminal, he still felt happy to see him. "Hello, Lapen." He raised one hand in a slight, familiar wave. He hoped that Lapen had learned something in his travels, a hope that was quickly dashed like a ship against a Sky Rift.

"Welcome to Gordo's Bistro," The teenager replied in the most unfriendly tone imaginable. His broom's progression across the dusty wood floor began to look more like the broom was attacking the floor with all of it's might. "'Dad'." He spat the word as if it were one of the millions of curses or strings of curses he would rather be spitting at Centime.

"Hm... what are you doing here? Have you decided to get a real job and reform yourself?" Even the continually-cheery scientist had to admit to himself that such an event was as unlikely as Valua realizing the error of its ways. He pushed his spectacles up slightly to better adjust his vision, clearly detecting the usual hatred rolling off his 'son' in waves.

"What, you haven't heard yet?" He stopped attacking the floor and blinked. "I woulda thought your pirate friends would love to tout defeating someone like me." The sizzle of the many grills in the back of the floating restaurant and the chinking of glass against other glass constantly flowed over them like white-noise.

"I've been out for several days, looking for you," Centime revealed. This was also a surprise to Lapen, especially considering he didn't know of his latest humiliation. "I'm glad I found you." _Hm. I may have an opportunity here that I might not have otherwise_. Despite his soft, grandfather appearance, he had quite a clever mind, and it's gears ground heavily now thinking of a plan.

"I'm not," Lapen replied bluntly, and Centime almost winced. Still as angry and sharp of the tongue as ever. Regardless, the remark rolled off of the middle-aged man's back easily. "Rather be enslaved by the fat-ass then see _you_." The fact that he was being forced to work boiled within him. What was he, some dirty Ixa'takan slave? No, he was as fair as any Valuan, and yet he suffered just like one of the savages.

He sighed. "Is that so? I wondered how you had been in your travels. I had hoped that maybe time would make you a little more mature about all this." The man shook his head. "But that's not what I came for. Lapen, I need your help." The other patrons barely noticed their conversation, happily eating and talking amongst those at other tables.

Surely his ears had been damaged by being around Gunarm's engine for months. Lapen squinted, in pure disbelief and slight annoyance. "You need me." He took a look around. "Well, I'm the slave, and you're free, so I don't see what I could do for you anyway. Not that I would ever want to help _anyone_, especially my 'father'." He would have literally spat onto the floor, but Gordo would have made him clean it up as usual.

"Hm. Maybe I could do something about that." Centime smiled slightly. He felt the path becoming clearer now, obstructions falling away in his mind's eye. Lapen's broom laid against the nearby wall, a forgotten annoyance as bigger things beckoned the teenager's attention.

"Are you trying to bargain with me, old man?" The concept of receiving aid from anyone else was yet another thing that sent Lapen into a lather. Maybe that was one of the many reasons that he _hated_ Centime with all of his living soul. "Even if you could work something out with the slave foreman, what makes you so sure I'd still come with you, huh? What do you want me for, anyway?"

"To help us fight Valua, of course," Centime said. "They've launched another campaign against the people of Ixa'taka, and me and my family have sworn to help them fight off the aggressors." Even Lapen had simple humanity, right? _Well, that's the hope, anyway_.

_Sounds just like what a Blue Fool would go and do_, Lapen snorted in amusement. _Try and fight off the most powerful country in the world with junk and ignorant darkies_. "I'm still getting over your luck that that damn Vyse and his whores saved your ass at just the right time. What makes you think that they can pull off that twice?" Why anyone would bother _helping_ that hopeless pack of jungle climbers was still far beyond Lapen. If they wanted to live like that, then they shouldn't have been surprised when someone more powerful came along and got them working.

"Huh? Vyse?" Centime blinked. "He's back in this region? I heard he was operating in Nasr airspace now." _Although I haven't had word on him or his friends for quite a while now_.

"Oh yeah? Well nobody but Vyse could ever beat me, and he had to use twenty of his crew just to do it," The teenager glared yet again at his adopted 'father', who stared right back without malice. "That motherfucker is the only reason I'm stuck in this floating prison with these purple-clad freaks and the fat-ass." _I coulda been well on my way to Mid Ocean by now, and rich and fat off the loot of this shitty bistro_.

_More good news_, Centime thought. _With Vyse helping, I'm sure we can beat DeLoco again. And if I can get Lapen to help, that would be even better. Maybe he'll finally start to learn some of the important things_. He pulled out a bag of gold from his pocket. "Five-thousand in coin. I don't believe in bailing you out entirely, but this should grant you at least a months' reprieve from your labor. Of course, you have to come and join our cause, so the choice is yours." He tossed the gold to Lapen, who easily caught it and regarded the plain, bulbous bag. "I'll leave one of my lifeboats at the dock in case you want to come. Ixa'taka isn't a day away even for a skiff."

Although he was slightly uncertain, he did strongly hope that Lapen decided to join up. Even with his severe attitude problem, he was a brilliant mechanic, and along with Hans and himself they could fix or build anything imaginable. Not feeling particularly hungry, he turned and set out at once, leaving the lifeboat moored to the dock like he promised.

The_Ironclad_ rose slowly away from the Bistro, it's old rusted metal hulk weary from decades of hard usage. He patted the helm control happily. "That's a good girl. Alright, let's head back for 'home'. I'd love to see Vyse and the others again."

0-0

"None of the three will talk at all," Gilder sighed. "They did try to bribe me with all sorts of interesting offers though, and I think I need to sit down now." The wooden jail held in one of it's dozen cells all three of the Ixa'Ness Demons that the crew had captured. Vyse, Gilder, and Enrique were talking just outside the building.

"Are you sure we should find this village in the first place, Enrique?" Vyse shrugged. "What if they're mad we beat the crap out of their best warriors and try and kill us?"

"No offense, Vyse, but I don't think even you can handle an entire fortress on your own." The prince raised a hand to stifle objection. "I know you and Gilder did that time that we broke out of the Grand Fortress, but this is different. DeLoco is insanely brilliant, and we'll need all the allies we can get for this to have a chance."

"Besides, maybe they'll see us as gods for beating those girls," Gilder interjected, leaning against the seemingly flimsy wooden building while sitting on a metal bench constructed recently. "And it is a village of strong female warriors. Maybe we could find new people to join the crew. And if not, a good time."

Vyse smirked. "Alright, I'm sold. Now that we've decided, yet again, to do something nobody's ever done... how are we gonna do it?"

"I say we go to the King," Enrique said. "He seemed to be the most accepting of me originally, and could probably point us in the right direction."

"Or at least have Isapa give us another crappy riddle," Vyse shrugged. Gilder stood up, following the teenagers as they made their way across the network of wooden and iron platforms. "Although considering that it's about a village full of women it might start something like 'there once was a man from Nantucket'..." Enrique didn't get the humor at all, but Gilder burst into raucous laughter for a few seconds, agreeing with his assessment.

The King was out for a walk, accompanied only by Isapa and one of the priests who also served as his royal bodyguard. He looked out across the massive village-turned-city that housed almost all of his subjects silently. The waters that flowed down the sheer sides of the mossy branches sustained lakes at the bottom from which the people drew buckets of the life-giving fluid. A massive library of creatures happily flitted amongst the leaves and people. Everything seemed so peaceful despite the war that raged for their fates.

He resolved to himself yet again that he would never allow Valua to take it all away. To take his people way. He had to protect them, like any good monarch would. Luckily, he had the help of great men and women, the warriors who saved them once from the wrath of a titan. The King smiled as he thought of the very people who now approached him. "Good day, Vyse, Gilder, Prince Enrique."

"'Morning, your Majesty," Vyse replied, bowing slightly. "Enrique thinks that he has a plan to get some more allies to kick Valua off of your continent for good." He looked over at the blonde monarch, and nodded in ascent. Isapa opened his mouth to object but the King sent him a look that made him think better of speaking up.

Enrique cleared his throat. "Sir, if we can convince the warriors of the Ixa'Ness Village to join us, we will gain a valuable advantage. Since we've defeated what appears to be their greatest fighters, the others should bow to our power and agree to aid us." His plan was simple, in all but one way.

"Hm. If you could do it, then it would achieve what no chief in the history of our people has done. The Ixa'Ness have never fought under the banner of our kingdom since the time before the Rains." The king stroked his chin for a moment. "The only problem is finding them. Unlike our deception about the holy city of Rixis, we honestly have had no clue about the location of the village. Honestly, we've searched for it a hundred times longer than for Rixis itself, even."

"Ixa'taka is such a vast land that it would take weeks of hard canvassing, and that's assuming the village is in plain sight," Isapa shook his head. "It's probably got all kinds of camouflage and concealment. Nobody's a real expert in lore on the village, but every legend suggests strong stealth is a factor."

"What of the scout?" The king asked. "The one with the sharpest eyes in the kingdom, Tikatika. He has been seeking the Ixa'Ness Village for years, and if anyone could help you, it would be him. He's one of the lookouts that we deploy to keep watch for the Valuans, so he would probably be on-duty at the top of the tree."

"Thank you for your help," Enrique said, bowing to him. "People have told you not to trust me because I'm a Valuan, I know." He looked Isapa in the eyes and the older man looked away. "Well I'll tell you why you should trust me to help you. It's my country, Valua, and I love her dearly. But the Empire's lost it's way, and its my responsibility to restore it to righteousness. I hope that when that happens your people will forgive us for all that Valua has done."

The King shook his head. "Please, don't worry about it, you are not to blame for the sins of your family. You've been an ally to Vyse, and an ally to us, and that's what matters now. Your assistance is most welcome, and if anyone objects to that, they may discuss it with me personally." He again looked over to Isapa, who tried to look innocent and only looked malcontented.

"Forgive me," The priest said quietly.

"I can understand," Enrique shrugged. "I would be distrustful of a Valuan, too, if I had gone through what Ixa'taka has. But I'll be different. Come on, Vyse, Gilder, let's go find Tikatika and enlist his help." They bowed to him, and the prince led the two Blue Rogues away from the King.

By now even the foreigners were becoming a little better at navigating through the city. Signs in Valuan had been set up to help them, and they found their way through a series of wooden ladders that took them several stories upwards. Gilder led the way, and he crossed over a series of metal platforms that groaned but supported their weight. More climbing eventually brought them near to the top of the enormous tree upon which the entire city was built.

A man in a hunting mask was peering outwards, through the thin foliage and into the clear blue skies above. As they approached he looked over. "Vyse, what brings you so high? Only our lookouts come to the tops." A composite bow was slung over his broad, bronzed back. Red ribbons on his shoulder denoted his status as the captain of the guard.

"We're looking for Tikatika," Vyse replied. "Where can we find him?"

"He just checked in a few minutes ago. I have him posted in the outer-most branch, for he has eagle-eyes like no other." The captain nodded. "I'm shooting in the dark here, but is this about the Ixa'Ness Demons? He's almost obsessed with that myth."

"Yeah. We're going to find them and get their help in fighting the Valuans," Enrique said.

The man paused for a moment and chuckled. "Well, good luck to you, Valuan. If you can manage to get those amazons, it'll be a real advantage. Frankly, they'll skin you alive if you're not careful though. That's assuming you can find it. However, I still wish you luck under the Green Moon." He saluted to him by thumping his blue-armored chest, and turned back to continue his viewing.

"Upbeat fellow," The prince remarked as they moved down the branch. Vyse snorted in agreement. "The highest branch... hm." A simple lever-pulley system connected several layers of thick branches that spiraled up towards the sky. The foliage shaded all, and the sporadic beams of light that filtered through cast everything in an eerie profile.

Tikatika was always put highest, and was always the best at his job. He had worked for years, refining his practically super-human eyesight and archery skills. All of Horteka took pride in his achievements, and the King himself considered him the royal scout. Like most soldiers in the kingdom, he wore the hollow-eyed beast mask and a blue feathered garment that could be described as extremely light armor. His composite bow was clenched loosely in one hand, the quiver always full and well-maintained.

He was doing what he did best. The skies were clear, but constant vigilance was required. It was common knowledge that were the Armada to discover Horteka they could level it without a second thought, and civilians were always ready for a quick evacuation. Early warning would be the key to saving lives, since fighting the metal ships head-on was still impossible, even with their pirate support.

However, just watching blank sky could get boring for anyone, even such a dutiful servant of the King. His mind drifted off to it's usual topic, slowly but surely- the Ixa'Ness Village legends. A village full of elite female warriors that kidnapped men. Such a story fascinated him greatly, especially with modern confirmation that a tribe called the Ixa'Ness really did exist. Tikatika searched for this village in all of his spare time and often on duty. Something told him that it would be within eyesight, which for him wasn't saying a lot about it's distance.

The faintest change on the horizon and he squinted, crouching slightly and focusing all of his mind into it. Duty called. He quickly identified it as a curtain of smoke, spiraling upwards from a tiny prick of light in the tantalizing distance. A fire, and it was a fairly large one. It was unlikely any of his comrades, however sharp they might have been, would be able to see it yet. Something like that was just the sort of thing to be reported, and he turned around. Almost at his level were the Blue Rogues, to his great surprise.

"Greetings," The scout said respectfully. "I must report something to the captain at once, so if you'll please excuse me for that lift..." He could have rappelled his own way down the tree, of course, but the pulley was much faster and safer.

"Are you Tikatika?" Gilder asked, stepping aside. "If so, then we'd like to talk with you after you report in. It's about the Ixa'Ness Demons."

"You certainly know how to interest me," Tikatika admitted. "Very well. Wait here, I will return quickly." He leapt upon the wooden platform, and with expert hands maneuvered it back down. True to his word, the man made his report to the captain in almost haste. The captain summoned another scout to take the message directly to the King and his pirate advisors. He was then free to return, and it seemed as though he had just departed when the pulley came back into view.

"So," The Ixa'takan said. "I assume you weren't just talking idly there. What do you want to talk of the Ixa'Ness?" He slung his bow across his back, using both the string and another sling to hold it secure as he waited.

"We're going to find their village, and secure their help in defeating the Valuan occupation forces," Gilder explained. "Since we've captured their three greatest warriors they should easily give in. Or at least they'll be bothered to listen to us before attacking. And then, if that happens, we'll get the rest to help after some ass-kicking. Like the plan?"

"It's simple," Tikatika admitted. "How do you propose to find the Village, though? If you look to me for help, then I'll be sorry to tell you I know no more about its location, for my years of effort."

"You could still come along," Vyse suggested. "We could always use another hand, and you've probably brushed up on other parts of the lore. The _Delphinus_ is the best ship in the skies. If anyone can help you find the village, it would be me and my crew." He waited eagerly. Tikatika's reputation seemed to suggest a man of strong ability. Even though he didn't directly know much he had a feeling the scout would come in handy if they found the Ixa'Ness.

Tikatika considered the offer. It was true, the Delphinus did seem quite impressive. He could use a break from the watching, and even though he was the best his comrades could adequately do the job. "Hm. Very well. I'll join your crew as a Watchman."

"Domingo is going to love the competition," Enrique noticed, smiling. "Welcome aboard." He saw Tikatika hesitate for a moment as he put out his gloved hand. "I assure you, although I am Valuan, I'm a good Valuan."

"A good Valuan?" Tikatika cocked a wry smile. "We'll see, Prince." He shook Enrique's hand.

0-0

Centime had arrived aboard the _Ironclad_ minutes later. He set the old boat down in the clearing that its crash had cleared a long time ago. Lookouts had spotted him incoming, and Vyse and his friends hadn't get left. They decided to meet up with the kindly inventor before setting out on their mission. The aging hulk rested where it had the last time Vyse was in Horteka, which seemed a lifetime.

Aika, Fina, and Clara had joined them. The girls tagged along as Vyse led the way this time, clearing familiar territory. He grinned as several little children, a few Ixa'takan and a few fairer Valuan or Nasrian races, raced over to him with cheerful greetings. "Hey, kids."

"Hello Captain Vyse," One of the girls declared. "I bet you're here to see Dad and Hans, right?"

"Right," Vyse nodded. "They're aboard the ship?" The _Ironclad_ was still fresh in its clearing, turbines winding down with low roars. The old pirate ship extended a rusted metal ramp that creaked and moaned from the exertion. It reached the ground, planting itself there as the crew emerged out onto the main deck. Centime spotted the large group and waved to them happily, as they rushed over to meet him. "Hey, Centime! Haven't seen you in a while."

"Likewise," The inventor replied. "Good to see you are all of health still. Gilder, you have good choice in friends."

"Don't I know it," Gilder replied, glancing over to Clara. She giggled and winked at him, inching closer. He inched away and made a noise of abject annoyance. "So, why did you take off like that, and did you get what you were looking for?"

"I'm not sure yet," Centime said. "We'll find out soon, if at all, I think. Oh, there was some sort of fire to the north of Horteka, but in the Ironclad I didn't dare go to investigate. If you're headed that way with the _Claudia_ then you might check it out. Someone could be hurt."

"We're only taking one ship," Vyse said. "Mine, the _Delphinus_. I don't think you've met her yet... pride of the Armada, until we stole it. Well, Enrique stole it and gave it to us. Oh, Enrique, meet Centime. We broke him out of jail. Centime, this is the Prince of Valua. He's on my crew now." Such a casual announcement, not unlike Aika's justification for Piastol, rolled off of Centime's back. The man nodded and shook hands with the fair-haired Valuan.

"I've heard a lot about you," Enrique said. "Lord Galcian seems convinced you're a horrible monster out for blood, but it looks like raising kids is more your priority."

"Orphans," Centime nodded. "Nowhere else to go. I bring them up as right as I can, teach them the ways of machines and of Arcadia. However, it looks like you're all getting ready to head out. Mind letting me in?"

"We're going to go get the Ixa'Ness Demons, find their Village, and get them to help us. Then we're going to break into DeLoco's HQ and take the little bastard hostage. He'll have no choice but to order a full surrender of the Valuans, and we can leave him with the Ixa'takans." Gilder smiled. "We're going to end this war before anyone else gets hurt. At least, that's the plan."

"Oh. Good luck," Centime said simply. He wasn't one to make a big deal out of something, and knowing the records of the men and women before him he thought it had a small chance of success. Knowing this, he didn't try and convince them out of suicide. "I'll need to meet with the King. I'll trust we'll meet after this."

"Of course," Aika said. "We've gotta tell you all about our travels! But first the psycho-midget. Let's go!" Still on their mission, the pirate group moved out. They headed for the docks, and with a little local assistance were there within minutes.

"The_Claudia_ and the _Primrose_ will remain on station in case," Clara spoke up. "All three of our ships would show up way too big, but if the _Delphinus_ maintains stealth it can slip through most radar nets the enemy's set up. And since Gilder's going, so am I! You'd all be helpless without me."

Fina giggled. "Thank you for your help, everyone. I hope this works."

"No chance of failure," Vyse shrugged. "The King has already moved the Demons to the ship, and they should be in the brig. We're gonna need them, maybe they can give us hints about the Village and we can use them to bargain with the others."

Three metal skiffs were waiting on the large branch. The group filled them to capacity, and lifted off at once. Scouts in the trees above watched them go, and Tikatika saluted to them in plain sight. Then he turned and scanned the skies for the _Delphinus_. It was just moving out of tree-cover below, rising and shedding sheets of leaves and foliage. The wind flowed along it's smooth armored lines and bushed off more of the cover, revealing it's gleaming blue and white hull.

"A beautiful ship," Tikatika remarked. "The design is truly beyond our own capacity... it's all made of metal?" Even the other pirate ships, besides the old Ironclad, were made mostly of wood and plastics. "Amazing."

"Yeah," Aika giggled. "It is. Served us well so far." The lifeboats approached the open back-hangar of the ship. One by one, they moved inside the cavern-like structure and secured themselves onto the magnetic rails. Debarking, they cleared the path for the next boat. In this manner, they were soon all aboard.

David was waiting for them, with Doc and Domingo. "Welcome back," David said to everyone. "Hey, another new member of the crew? I'm David, the Vice Captain. Naomi's on the Bridge with Lawrence and Robinson, Vyse," He said to Tikatika and then to Vyse. "The prisoners are below, nice and secure. Piastol's standing watch over them, and she's still in a mighty temper about how easily they tranq'ed her. They'd really better not piss her off."

"How are the wounded?" Gilder asked to Doc.

The middle-aged medic smiled. "Doing fine, all of them. Marco, Khazim, and Domingo here were only knocked out, and were good to go before you left. Luke and Rodgers are making good recovery from their burns with Green Magic aid. Everything's looking good."

"Wonderful," Fina remarked. "I'm so glad to hear that they're going to be ok. I would feel terrible if anyone were to be hurt." She was their expert healer, and had used her significant powers to heal both of the wounded marines to stability.

They began to make their way to the bridge. Domingo said, "You're the second watchman, right? Come with me, the Crow's Nest is this way. I'll show you around the equipment and such." The swashbuckler took the archer down a fork in the hallway, the others heading up the stairs a level.

"Heya Captain!" Belle declared happily, leaning out an ajar door. The bubbly gunner had easily recovered from the shocks of the attack, and had helped raise morale of the crew while the captain was gone. Her happiness seemed almost infectious at times. She joined in with Vyse and the group headed for the bridge.

"What's up?" Vyse asked. "The guns ready to go?"

"Always," Khazim roared. "Never felt better, I tell you. Doc still wants to monitor me. 'recessive chemicals', he says. Bulls-wax! Medics always keep their patients longer than needed. Either way, the main batteries will be ready to rip some ass at your order!" He retreated back towards the ammunition storage sections below them.

They approached the Bridge. Enrique opened the door, stepping in first. Everyone else filtered through the relatively narrow opening space. Lawrence looked over and nodded to the captain. Marco and Pinata were standing near the viewports, and waved with vitality. Naomi saluted to him. "Vyse, everything is going smoothly," She reported. "We just need a course. I recommend we investigate that smoke first."

"Agreed." Clara said. "Without a set heading anyway to search, we might as well. DeLoco could be trying to burn down all of Ixa'taka again, in which case we'll need to stop him."

"Okay, let's go for it," Vyse said. "Lawrence, to the smoke at cruising speed. Keep us low and quiet." The helmsman replied without confirmation, swinging the large steering wheel to one side. The entire ship rotated, the nose acting like a giant pointer out the main view-screens towards the distant smoke. David helped Lawrence with the throttle, and the turbines underneath them slowly spun up to power.

It only took them a few minutes before Tikatika and Domingo could report to Vyse. "Captain," The talking-tube blared, "It's a village! A burning village, by the Moons! The smoke is from thirty separate fires instead of a single forested blaze."

"What?" Gilder was surprised, to say the least. "I thought all the other Ixa'takan villages had already been evacuated or destroyed. There were survivors holding out?"

"'Were' is the operative word," Lawrence noted stoically, bringing the ship closer. It was soon in visual range. The burning buildings were set on a single platform on an elevated island above the mainland. "Some of the structures are still standing," He noted. "And look. Valuan flag." Indeed, the sickening banner of destruction that bore the crest of Enrique's family flapped placidly in the town square as smoke and flames swirled around it.

Coils of broken rope and wooden panels were scattered everywhere, amidst many bronzed bodies. The debris was stained with red blood that glowed slightly in the background light of the village's flames. Nobody on the street was moving, as the crew could yet determine. Craters pockmarked the area, clear evidence of cannon-fire if the Valuan banner didn't do it.

At the sight of his family's doing yet again, Enrique felt his stomach threaten to turn on him for the first time in two lunar cycles. "Moons..." The carnage and devastation wreaked upon the village was only amplified as he saw several children laying amongst the victims.

"Prepare Wevles rounds, Belle," Aika ordered quietly. "Let's get those fires out."

"Hold up," David shook his head. "There might be survivors still, and someone might be alive down there. Too risky for area-effect guns."

"You really think anyone's alive?" Clara asked. The destruction looked absolute, and even though not everything was burning a good portion of the village was already charred to cinders and ash. The plumes of smoke obscured everything to a degree, but the gory scene was plain enough either way. "Between Valuan steel, the flames, or smoke inhalation?" When the Armada destroyed a place they showed no mercy and were usually thorough to the final degrees.

Vyse was taken back in his memories to a time months ago, before his life was profoundly altered by Fina and the adventure. The day after Fina had been liberated, and how he and Aika left the village on a treasure-hunt. The teenagers returned to the smoldering ruins of their village, with the Valuan flag hanging just like it was over this Ixa'takan location.

The women and children had been spared that time for an unknown reason, so there might have been hope that survivors had taken shelter underground from the fire. It was enough to convince Vyse. "Right. Hold up the cannons. Assemble search teams, and get all the mages ready. They'll have to put out the fires one-by-one with their own magic."

After a moment's hesitation, David followed his orders. He divided the able-bodied crew into several teams and ordered them to the lifeboat hangar. The Vice Captain decided to personally help out, leaving with the others. Fina was horrified but with her advanced magic knew where she was needed most. Aika trailed Vyse silently. The teenager was still lost in his own thoughts as he reached the airdock.

Piastol motioned to Vyse, who joined Doc, Marco and her in one of the boats. Doc looked over at Marco. "Hey, maybe you should stay aboard the_Delphinus_. I'm not sure you want to see all of where we're going."

"I ain't no kid," The Valuan urchin insisted. "I've seen death before." It was true- his own parents had died at the hands of the Empire, as he had told Vyse. He was determined to help out anyone left in the destroyed village. Besides, although the boat usually held three as a speed concern, he barely counted as half of a person in terms of weight.

The search and rescue groups lifted off from the hangar, heading towards the village. Luckily, like most Ixa'takan villages, it was relatively small in size and the groups were still in sight as they landed in a ring around the smoking ruins. Fina swallowed her own fear and steeled herself, scanning her eyes over the devastation. "Let's go."

Piastol took off, quickly walking towards the center of the village and looking through each building that wasn't aflame. Aika and Fina got to work extinguishing the many blazes, with Rodgers' help from the other side and a few other crew members with magics. Gilder and Clara investigated the bodies outside, but neither pirate could find a pulse on anyone. Enrique and Marco worked on bringing down the Valuan flag and tossed it into one of the blazes.

"Hey," Doc spoke up. "Tikatika, what does this banner say in Ixa'takan?" He pointed up towards the largest and most prominent structure, which held a ripped purple cloth bearing words in the aboriginal language. Even while he asked his he laid two more victims on their backs next to the building and closed their eyes.

The scout looked over from the rooftop of a crumbling building across the street and squinted. He read it, and then in shock read it several more times. "By the Green Moon!" Tikatika exclaimed. "This says 'Ixa'Ness Village'."

"... What?" Vyse looked up from moving rubble out of the blocked entrance of a small house to one side of the village square.

"I swear it," He said. "This is the legendary village that I have searched for!" He clenched his fist. "Do you see how every one of the bodies who bear warrior clothes are female? The few males here are not dressed for battle. Look, one of them is Valuan." The fair-skinned man wore the teal robe of an Imperial non-commissioned officer. "The Valuans even killed off their own kind!"

"Oh, Moons, it's Jonas," David said quietly. Jonas was one of Gilder's most trusted aides and flew the _Claudia_ when neither David or Gilder wanted to. The Mid Ocean man was leaning against a wall, with blood running down his long dark-blue sailing coat and pants. His eyes were vacant and hollow, and his lungs drew no breath- he was dead. "Poor bastard never had a chance... rest in peace." He closed his eyes as well and laid him down with the dead villagers.

Doc was the one to discover the survivor. Her already bronze skin was burnt badly in many places, and what remained of her formerly white robes were charred and dirty. The woman's hair was a shock-purple color, and in total disarray. She looked like many of the other Ixa'Ness women, except she was still drawing in jagged lung-fulls of air. The doctor knelt next to her, beginning to use high-power Sacrum crystals. The bursts of magic light drew the attentions of other crew-members, who flocked around to see the living Ixa'Ness.

"Ma'am, please stay with us," He said, groaning from the exertion as he began to rely on his own magics. The phenomenal healing magics flowed through her heavily damaged body, but Doc knew that it might have been too late to revive her. "Stay awake!"

She coughed and then moaned in pain. "Who're you?" She asked, her voice faint and trembling.

"I'm here to help," Doc replied simply. "Don't strain yourself, allow the Green magic to flow through you. I believe you're healing, although the process is slow." He stayed with his new patient and oversaw the application of magic to her personally. The other dispersed, looking for anyone else left alive in the village.

Nobody else was found, only many more corpses. Several had seen gory deaths, others had all but been atomized by direct cannon hits, and a few bore more personal sword and bullet wounds. The Valuans had certainly been vicious in their destruction, as usual. All of the fires were put out, leaving the village to become more quiet without the crackling roar of the blazes. The Blue Rogues began to pile the bodies up in long rows and to check each one. Gilder found two more members of his crew amongst the dead and prayed for both of them.

The gruesome work was finally over. Vyse wiped the soot from his hands and sighed, shaking his head. His boots were stained with the more fresh coats of blood around the village, as were the hands and feet of others. "How long ago do you figure this happened?" He asked.

Naomi said, "We heard some distant cannon-fire during the early hours of the morning. I'd estimate since some of the blood is still unconcealed that it wasn't a half-day previous."

"Why would they do it, though?" David asked. "Ixa'Ness wasn't fighting the Valuans or helping Ixa'taka, in fact Gilder tells me they were annoying enemies of the Blue Rogues."

"See the Valuans? They preyed on both sides equally," Enrique said. "I guess DeLoco found them to be annoying. Somehow the Armada found out where their secret village was... and so we have what is here now. Nothing but ashes, blood, echoes, and a lone survivor. How is she doing, Doctor?"

"Healing," Doc said. "Some of the wounds won't be healed, but she's definitely stabilized. I think I'm ready to bring her aboard the_Delphinus_, with your permission, Vyse."

"Go ahead," The teenager assented. "We'll finish up and everyone will get back aboard. We've done all we can for these people." He had a seat on a large chunk of rubble next to the destroyed walls of a building and sighed. Now that he had no diversions, old memories and feelings flooded his mind.

0-0

Gilder hated playing 'bad cop', as it were, especially since any form of law enforcement didn't agree with his digestive tract. However, it had to be done, and he prepared himself, clenching his gloved fists. The brig was guarded by Piastol and Luke, both of the Blue Rogues stepping side to admit him entrance to the cell-block. The only prisoners in the clean, modern jail were the three Ixa'Ness Demons, who were still ignorant of what had befallen their home. Pera looked up from her sisters at his approach and giggled. "Hey there, again. Have you changed your mind about our 'offer', Captain?"

"No," He replied sternly. "But I have something to show you." He unlocked the prison door. "Come with me, now." The three Ixa'takan pirates looked between each-other in confusion, Gilder seemed extremely agitated. Deciding that the brig was boring and they were curious about what the Blue Rogue had to offer, they stood and followed him after a moment. Piastol and Luke fell in to either side, making sure to glare their best at the girls.

He reached the observation deck quickly, opening the hatch and walking in. "You told me that Ixa'Ness didn't want to help the other villages against the Armada, right? It wasn't your problem? Well, look at this." Gilder pointed towards the large panorama-view, and down upon the smoldering village.

For a moment, nothing happened, and then all three of the teenage girls drew in a sharp gasp at the same time. They ran over to the window, looking all over the destroyed ruins of the buildings and the shredded village banner. The horror in their eyes, disbelief followed by slow shock, were enough to break Gilder's heart. He shook his head in sadness.

"They wiped out your home like they've done to so many others," Luke said. "We only found a single survivor, and she was severely wounded. Doc's got her in the medical bay right now."

"You have two options, and two options only," Gilder said. "You can rot in the Ixa'takan jails at Horteka and sit out this war, or you can join forces with us, and get revenge on Valua for wiping out your people. You can talk with the survivor when she's lucid enough."_Terrible as it is, this might be the way we gain allies. We've all been victims of the Armada at some point_.

"How do we know... that you didn't do this to trick us?" Tara asked. "This might be an old village. Or you might have wiped out Ixa'Ness yourself!"

"You might be annoying, but I know you aren't stupid," Piastol spat. "Blue Rogues don't attack population centers or civilians. Your 'trophies' and children number amongst the dead. You've had enough contact with us to realize that by now." Her words were the biting truth, and the three young girls were now disoriented and numbed through their minds and bodies.

Unable to keep up their facade of strength any longer, they broke down into tears, falling upon one of the nearby couches. Gilder and the others gave them some privacy, taking their leave. He sighed. "We were too harsh," He said to Luke and Piastol. "They just lost their home, their family, and pretty much everything."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I only hope that with their help we can pull this off. If we do, maybe we can save the others from DeLoco."

Piastol had never met Admiral DeLoco, but by now she knew enough about him to earn her hatred. Her blood almost boiled as he thought of the madman and his latest atrocity. Always intense of temperament, her righteous indignation was one of the newer feelings to her- the Angel of Death wouldn't have cared about the deaths of some primitives, right? Well she wasn't the Angel of Death anymore. She was a Blue Rogue, and she was going to kick Valua off this continent if it took all of her considerable strength.

"What now?" Vyse had joined them in the hallway, walking beside the other pirates. "Gilder, how likely do you think it is that they're going to join us?"

"They might need some time, this is complete devastation," The Blue Rogue shook his head. "But I think they'll come around, if only for vengeance. Is the Ixa'Ness villager awake yet? I thought talking to her might help them reach the right choice." They soon arrived at the bridge, where David and Naomi were waiting, along with the ever-aware Lawrence.

"What's our course?" Lawrence asked calmly.

"Hm. Take us back to Horteka. Tell the Crow's Nest to keep a clear eye out for the Valuans. They might be observing the village for anyone to come along and help them." If that were the case, the Armada might already be headed for them. Well, if Valua wanted a fight, the_Delphinus_ and her crew were in the perfect temperament for a brawl. Everyone felt outrage and horror at the Empire, although to many it was old news in a general way.

The_Delphinus_ still kept low to the trees as it headed out over the mainland's heavy forestation. Flocks of birds parted to either side to admit the metal airship, and animals below watched it fly overhead with ignorant interest. The pirate flagship met with no Armada ships or encounters, and it was smooth sailing back towards the capitol city of Ixa'taka.

"Time to start planning the main operation," Gilder said. "We need to take out DeLoco as quickly as possible, as everyone can see now. There's probably a few more villages he hasn't found yet."

"I can't believe this is all happening because the Armada wants revenge," Aika said, balling her fists. "Revenge for what? Stopping their slave-trade the first time? Stealing the Moon Crystal? Why go after Ixa'taka if they hate us so much?"

"Guilt by association," Naomi said. "We're friends with Ixa'taka."

"You're asking for logic and humanity from an Empire that uses neither very frequently," David pointed out. "Anyway, so we just sneak into his HQ, huh? That sounds risky, even with support and good troops. How much of a fleet does DeLoco have? I'd guess not that huge, because he wouldn't need real force. A single cruiser could take out the Ixa'takan 'fleet'."

"Scouts say that he has three manned cruisers and a dozen or so remote battleships," Gilder replied. "The _Chameleon_ shouldn't be a factor, apparently it's in for refits at a secret Imperial base. Vyse killed one of them when you all got here, so that's at most 15 Valuan ships. The _Claudia_, _Primrose_,_Delphinus_ and _Ironclad_ probably won't be able to take them all out, but they'll make a nice diversion. While the air forces are busy, we take the Ixa'Ness stealth prowler and board them. DeLoco can't fight himself, but he might have battle machines or something, so we'll need to be on our toes."

The_Delphinus_ had soon returned to Horteka, and the crew began to put their plans into motion.


	13. In Closing

Chapter Thirteen- In Closing

Lapen had furiously insisted that the only reason he had joined forces with the Ixa'takans and Blue Rogues was to escape the boredom of the Bistro. The Ixa'Ness Demons had all signed on to avenge their village and their family. Clara followed Gilder like a puppy, even into Deep Sky or furious battle. Vyse had happened to be in the right place at the right time yet again.

Regardless of cause or reason, they were all united under the banner of Ixa'taka then. Centime thought that was enough, and was overjoyed to see Lapen again. Hans had been somewhat less enthusiastic, and all it took was a few caustically truthful observations from the redhead to set off Lapen's ego. His boys had nearly come to blows once before Centime broke them up and sent them to work on tasks on opposite ends of the ship. He could see why Hans was angry and bitter at Lapen's betrayal, but still couldn't stand to see his own sons fighting.

Yet, when the time came, the three of them would play a key role together in the Battle of Ixa'taka. Their mission was to join the infiltration of DeLoco's fortress and disable as many of the traps and electronics as they could, to make things go smoother and safer. Given the tiny psychopath's genius, it would require every bit of their extraordinary skill to keep the team alive. Meanwhile, Centime would pilot the _Ironclad_ with the help of only his wife, which was a difficult enough task without his son absent.

All the commanders and key players were meeting for the final time. It was an hour before sunrise, on the fifth day that Vyse had been in Ixa'taka, and also the day of the assault. King Ixa'Taka looked over each of them and nodded. "Very well. Let us go over the plan one final time. Vice Captain LeCroix?"

David drew a deep breath and started to speak. "DeLoco's main fortress is situated on the side of a steep mountain about eighty kilometers away. It is well-defended by his entire fleet save for a few remote battleships out patrolling various parts of the continent. Our first objective will be to draw the enemy fleet out. To this end, the_Delphinus_, _Claudia_, _Primrose_ and _Ironclad_ will all engage DeLoco's ships and draw them away from base in a diversionary action. Even together they won't have the strength to shoot down every ship, but they'll keep them busy until the remote cruisers can be deactivated.

Using the Ixa'Ness ship we took, the Demons, Vyse and four other crew members, Hans and Lapen will all infiltrate the fortress and quietly make their way up to the heart of the base, where DeLoco will be sealed. They will take the little shit hostage and force him to destroy his remote ships and order his regulars to run back to Valua. This is like chess- the other pieces are only nuisances, DeLoco is the King and the key to our plans. If he falls, this war is over."

"I will pray to the Green Moon for our victory," Isapa said. "Everyone, good luck today. The hopes of our people rest on your shoulders."

"Let's go," Vyse said. "The crew's already up and we can set out before dawn."

"Yeah," Gilder agreed. "The boys couldn't get much sleep anyway. Everyone was more than a little jittery. Vyse, you should choose now the four others that you want to go with you in the party." Everyone turned towards the teenager, who was still a tinge groggy and took a moment to ponder.

"I'll take Aika, Fina, Enrique, and Piastol," He said. "Fina and Aika will provide magic support, Enrique's Justice Shield is a lifesaver, and Piastol is the strongest fighter we have. Well, time to show the Armada once again what they get for all their troubles."

"_Nada_," David smacked his gloved fist into his hand. "Lovely."

0-0

"The midget really outdid himself this time." Hans held the spyglass up, observing the distant mountain ranges. As the steep, rocky surfaces spiraled upwards, the jungles around them thinned out. At the terminal line, where no plants could live, the upper part of the mountain was a barren and cold peak of stone and ice.

Clearly visible above that line were the enormous walls of the fortress, balanced on a platform. The fortified base was settled into a cave-like mouth in the side, so it was protected from the top to the bottom. Numerous massive cannons poked out of the huge battlements, swinging idly in vain hopes for a target. Cruising around in the base's airspace were over a dozen Valuan vessels of war, on constant patrol.

They were approaching quickly. The Ixa'Ness ship was remarkably agile due to its size and engine modifications, and they zoomed just under the thick canopy cover towards their target. Piastol stood on the deck in silence, tightly gripping the handle of her scythe. Vyse and Enrique were seated on the rail to either side of Hans, while his brother Lapen was on the other side of the boat. The Demons were inside the small pilothouse, flying their boat. Fina and Aika were there as well, at the prow, trying to see with their bare eyes through the rushing, thin canopy of leaves.

"It should be almost time for David and the others to begin their attack," Enrique noted. "Odd, this is almost the same tactic that you used against Valua the day I joined your crew."

"They never do get any smarter, ne?" Aika pulled out her large boomerang. It had been enchanted by the mages of Ixa'Taka with special green magic that would poison any who felt its bite. The hunters had also notched it in strategic places to increase its range. "We survive this and I'm going to get myself so drunk I won't even be able to seduce you, Vyse. Fina, will you take over that mission for me?" Fina blushed.

"Perhaps," She replied with a glint of humor, even though she was still thoroughly timid about the matter. Lapen made a noise of disgust which made her bow her head, and earned him the angriest of looks from the redhead.

Hans was about to say something, no doubt quite insulting, when his voice was drowned out in the boom of distant cannon. Everyone looked to the sky, where flames swirled and sparked in the distance opposite the base. Cannonballs streaked overhead, their fiery trails marking their passage like comets. They were mostly inaccurate, exploding in the air before the base or tumbling into the thick foliage at the base of the mountain. An explosion caught the rear of a battleship, however, and it began to fishtail in the air.

Anger awakened, the Valuan fleet turned and returned the fire. Shells screamed through the humid air, any near impact shaking the ground and even their boat. The long-range battle produced a lot of noise, sound, and heat, but no real damage was obvious. DeLoco's fortress joined its guns with the fleet, sending larger shot outwards.

The_Delphinus_ and the other pirate ships were deliberately staying so far away, which was to their advantage, since the Armada had much more firepower. Noticing this much faster than the guard of the Grand Fortress had, the commander of the fleet ordered his ships forward. The entire fleet, save a sole cruiser, disregarded their charge of defending the base. They charged forward, lusting for blood. Seeing this on their radars and crows' nests, the pirates pulled back and turned to the left, drawing them slowly.

"Straggler," Vyse said, cursing. "Oh, well. He probably won't even spot us. Let's go. Hey, girls, what's our ETA?" He winced as a stray shot almost blew them cleanly out of the air. The heat from the explosion pricked at their skins, and they pulled away on instinct.

"We're close," Pera replied confidently. "Two minutes."

They reached the foot of the mountain, and began to angle themselves up. Although they couldn't scale it all like that, as they would capsize and toss free the passengers, it would help their ride. The stealthy little prowler used the thinning tree-lines for cover effectively. When they finally broke upwards through the last vestiges of the jungle, they were less than two hundred meters from the lower lip of the base's cave.

Rising quickly, they found themselves staring at the enormous rear-armor plating of the remote cruiser. The ship had obviously not observed them yet, still firing outwards towards the battling ships. The cannons on the walls did the same, their noise giving even the experienced pirates a deafening blast.

"There's a dock for smaller ships, straight ahead," Hans said, pointing to help the pilots. "Get us up there. The blast-doors are sealed, but I'm sure Lapen can get them open."

"IED," Lapen replied. "That's a improvised explosive device. I'm good at rigging shit to blow up." _At least the old man taught me something useful in those early years of misery_. He produced a small round machine, cobbled together from debris and spare scrap metal. It had a wire, connecting to a detonator in his pocket. "Give me a Red moonstone for some extra kick." Fina produced a shard of glowing Red rock, handing it to him. He put it in the machine, and it began to pulsate. "Ready to blast."

The Demons landed their prowler smoothly on the small, empty dock. Everyone else readied their weapons and leapt over the side, filing out of the boat. "So far, so good," Piastol said, the fastest and thus the first to arrive at the doors. She looked both ways, and then stood back to make way for Lapen. "All yours."

"Stand back," He ordered, setting the IED down. "This won't have enough to get all the way through, but this door's control circuits will be fried. No idiot would set their doors to automatically close, so they'll open when shut down."

Even through their displeasure, the others appreciated his knowledge as they backed away. Lapen planted the device right on the door, and then ran back to join them. He pulled out the detonator and slammed the red button down hard. Three clicks later, and the IED went off. The fire blasted outwards, into the air, and a tremendous roar knocked them backwards. When they looked back up, they saw a huge smoldering crater in the tough steel doors. The doors were still in-tact, but were doubtless very thin in the epicenter of the explosion. A moment later, they slid open, revealing the long metal corridor within.

"DeLoco probably felt that in his command center," Vyse chuckled. "Enrique, Justice Shield. You're going first. Hans, Piastol, you're with him. Handle any 'special' security he might have. I'll be with the Demons, to either side of Aika and Fina. Lapen, consider yourself the rear-guard. Like Hans, you'll take care of any machines that try and trap us from behind." He twirled his Dream Cutlass in one hand and Ryu Kan's Kitsune in the other. "C'mon. Clock's ticking."

"May Righteousness Be Our Shield," Enrique prayed, summoning his natural power. A yellow sphere appeared in his hand, expanding into a semi-circular shield of energy. He wielded this in front of himself. The party started into the base, passing through the hallway without incident. When they reached the next hall, alarms began to sound off. "If he didn't know we were here before..." Enrique trailed off, sighing and clutching his royal rapier closer. The blood-red lights spinning around them in the walls bathed them in bloody hues.

The door at the far end of the hallway was locked, but it was thin enough where Piastol could bust it open easily. It made a loud, metallic boom as it flew loosely to the floor, revealing a barracks area. It was, thankfully, devoid of the troops who called it home, but they still moved slowly through it. They passed rows of bunks stacked together and a small armory, headed out the other way. Pera noticed the swiveling security cameras, destroying each with precision arrows before their fields of vision fell over the group. "Nice shooting," Hans nodded, smiling at her.

Lapen suddenly said, "Look out!" Behind them, three creatures appeared. They were the jelly-like monsters that had attacked Vyse last time he had battled DeLoco. Lira and Tara raised their staffs and ran in front of Lapen, about to attack.

"Hold up," Aika shook her head. "Don't attack! Those things are crawling bombs. Fina, let's get some Purple Magic going and freeze em solid!" She smacked her hands together and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Fina did likewise, and a sheen of purple flooded through the room. Arcane circles appeared under their feet, as the magical energy charged up. "Moons! Give Us Strength!"

Vyse watched the creatures freeze solid in magical blocks of ice. "That was less difficult than I'd imagined," He said, turning around. "Let's go, before they thaw out. I doubt that improved the monsters' tempers." Enrique was once again in the vanguard position, opening the far door and walking through. Lapen secured it behind them as they left, to trap the jelly-beings in.

The hallway widened out like a funnel, and lead into a large room with a concrete pillar supporting it. All across the floor was a gigantic checker-board pattern, with glowing symbols in a strange written language. There was no other light in the hall than from the squares and the writing over them. Everyone stopped, looking out upon the floor.

"Trap?" Lapen asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Trap," Hans acknowledged. "Knowing DeLoco, a wrong step is going to be very painful for us. But there's gotta be a safe path through, otherwise his men couldn't move through here. Hm..." He pondered the mysterious writing for a moment, before a gasp from Fina drew everyone's attention.

"That's Silvite," She declared in surprise. "The language of the ancient Silver Civilization. The same script as the characters of my dress." It was true, the beautiful golden calligraphy looked frighteningly the same as the Valuan trap. "But... how does DeLoco know it?"

"Serves me," Enrique shrugged. "But Admiral DeLoco probably knows what I had for breakfast this morning, his knowledge is incredibly vast and deep."

"Ramirez," Vyse said. "You think he could have helped him design this trap, Fina?"

"It's possible," She admitted, looking away at the mention of her former companion. Ramirez had become twisted, and was serving the Empire and Galcian for an unknown reason. Now that she thought about it, it was the likeliest explanation. "I can translate it, for what it's worth. Each of these squares has the name of an old Silvite deity written upon it." She pointed to each square, listing off the names and what the deity was responsible for. "The one on the near right corner is Aurelius, the deity of benevolence and charity. The one on the far left is Nero. Nero was associated with hatred and close-mindedness. This is like a scale of righteousness. The middle one is Lyceum, responsible for law-giving and neutrality."

"Good thing we got a simpler system," Hans noted. "Six moons, six colors, none of that other stuff. Hm. DeLoco would want to make it so simple that an enemy would over-complicate their interpretation, step wrong, and die. That's how he ticks."

"Agreed," Enrique said. "The obvious path is to travel all across the scale, diagonally, from good to evil. Somehow, I'm not surprised that Nero is nearest to DeLoco, given his taste for sadism."

"I'll go first," Piastol volunteered before anyone else could speak. "If I misstep, I could retreat out of the area of effect of the trap quicker than anyone else here." She was always eager to assume risk in the place of any of the crew, especially Vyse. Even so, they saw her logic and stepped back without an argument.

"Be careful," Fina said to her. "Please." She nodded and stoically approached the trap. With her deliberate steps, she placed herself upon the square of Aurelius. Two heartbeats later, she stepped onto the second square, that of the just god Ionia. Nothing happened to her. She progressed, speeding up slightly but still on high alert, across the massive board. When the former bounty huntress reached the other side, she turned and motioned for them to follow. Everyone let out the breath they had been collectively holding, and filed in to cross one at a time.

The door on the other side was ajar, and swung open with Enrique using his rapier as leverage. The brightly-lit room flooded white light out at them, and they blinked uncomfortably. Quickly getting inside, they examined the vacant room. It appeared to be a medical suite of some kind, but no patients were visible on the many beds. "Clear," Lapen said, closing the door behind them again.

The prince opened the next door. When he discovered no floor beyond the door-frame, it came as a surprise and he had to steady himself from falling. He looked out upon the massive rounded chasm right in front of him, stepping back again for security. The gigantic drop was completely dark and empty, and he had no way to tell how far down it went. "Guys. We need an alternate route."

"Huh? Why... holy shit." Pera frowned. "That's not good. Who the hell designs their bases like this, anyway? What, is DeLoco some paranoid little psycho?"

"Yeah," All of the Mid-Oceaners replied as one. Fina walked over to one of the many tables in the medical room and pointed to an empty blue screen. "Um... isn't this one of the 'computers' that the Valuans use?" It was a revolutionary technology, but was still very basic and in development. Behind the wall, Hans and Lapen knew that there were enormous machines and motors all powering the cumbersome machine.

"Bingo," Hans said, stepping up. "I haven't used many of these things, but I think I can get us in. The system probably has a map that we could print out and use." He pulled out the bottom section of the table, which had a large keyboard on it with Valuan characters printed on it. "Hm... it's in standby now. I'll get to work." He started to type at the keys. Text appeared on the screen, with the blinking cursor indicating where the binary data would appear next. It was all an enormous sequence of codes and numbers, almost illegible to a common Arcadian.

Nevertheless, all of his friends were gathered around him, watching him navigate through the simple systems. "Amazing," Aika said. "I heard that the Valuans use tiny little wires through the computers that can send messages faster than radios."

"Yeah, there's a lotta potential here," Hans said. "Ran into a barrier. The system requires access... guys, search this room, especially that side-office. I need Level Two access codes for a map of the base. Damn, this guy's worse than we thought at this paranoia stuff." The pirates did as he requested, scouring the entire medical suite. Eventually, Vyse returned with a printed card and handed it to him, victorious. "A-ha. I'm in."

A machine to one side suddenly sprang to life, making a series of high-pitched grinding motor noises. Everyone backed away, but out of the top-slit only emerged a long sheet of white paper. On it was printed a full schematic of the complex facility. Hans ripped it out of it's sheath and examined it. Lapen hesitated a moment, then said, "Good job, bro," To him. Hans looked away, but smiled slightly in secret before turning to everyone.

"According to this, there's a set of ventilation shafts that run through the base, supplying air to all sections. They appear to be wide enough for us to go through single-file, but we'll be crawling. The other, regular paths are all far away and zigzagging like all hells."

"My Justice Shield should be able to fold in and fit," Enrique said, walking over to the panel. It was low enough so he could reach it without standing on anything, and he pried the metal grate off of it easily. Summoning back his shield, he pushed it into the vent and then leapt in himself. He was lethe and graceful like a dancer, so he no problems with it. "Follow me," He said to them, his voice echoing through the tight metal confines.

"I don't have a very good feeling about this," Lira said, following Vyse. However, being close to the backside of a crouched Vyse apparently improved her mood, and she failed to voice any more concerns. Vyse was, of course, oblivious to this and trying his hardest not to stare at Piastol. He knew the consequences of offending her. Aika, on the other hand, was busy cracking as many jokes as she could manage as the group made slow progress through the vents.

Time brought them to a fork in the vent-tunnels. Enrique decided to go right, and this time almost fell into the chasm they found. He looked down and saw several sets of enormous fans spinning at a sickening speed, eyes wide. "Oh, my. Um... we have another problem, guys." This time, falling meant not only being in danger of hitting the ground, but also getting sliced into chunks by the fans.

"Again?" Vyse wasn't pleased when he got up over Enrique and saw the deadly drop-off. "I hate DeLoco so fucking much. Hans, routes?"

"We need to go through that chasm," Hans replied. "Hold on, don't cuss yet. At the bottom is a glass-ceiling to a room, see? That room contains a door that leads almost directly through to the command center. All we need to do is stop those blades from spinning and we can simply rappel down." The pit had to be over a hundred meters tall, but it was manageable with the veteran sailors and pirates.

"Seriously, does DeLoco have a fetish for long, dark holes?" Aika made a face. "That would explain the female slaves he took in the war." Everyone found that both amusing and disturbing, with Vyse guffawing compared to Fina, who demurely giggled under her breath. "Ugh. Yellow Magic ought to short out the fans' circuitry and bring em to a halt. Or we could try and freeze the blades to the walls with Purple Magic. Vyse?"

"We'll do both at the same time," Vyse replied. "Enrique, Electri the fan motors. Girls, ice over the fans and hold them in place. When you're both done, Piastol will attach the rappel lines, go down first, and help each of us down. Nice and slow."

"I can't believe we're doing this," Lapen swore. "This is suicide."

"Oh, and sneaking into the Valuan headquarters wasn't?" Hans asked in a snippy tone.

"Yeah, good point. Hand me that rope, then."

0-0

"Yes! These damnable BLUE ROGUE FILTH will ALL feel the destructive power of Lord Admiral DeLoco! Haaha! Blow them out of the sky, sentence them to a _burning eternity_ in Deep Sky! _Crush_ their foolish assault at ONCE! Muahahahaah! Ensure they suffer the torments of _obliteration_!" By the Moons, it was hard for Vice Admiral Lucas to direct the battle with his subordinates when DeLoco was screaming his small head off. Of course, it was a necessary annoyance, as Lucas would get his ears cut off for mentioning such a thing to the mad genius.

"Admiral, intruder alert," Lucas said, surprised. He looked at the blinking status screens, which showed an unauthorized crossing of the Silvite trap. The workers at the dock had reported returning from their breaks to find a native ship laying at anchor, as well. All signs pointed to an enemy infiltration of the fort.

"_Whaaat_? Someone has penetrated the _almighty defenses_ of my headquarters? Hm... it must be HIM!" DeLoco smirked. "Only HE could have made it this far. The ship battle is just a distraction, then. Divert the guards and begin scouring this facility! Full lockdown alert! Find them, but do _not_ kill them, yet." He turned around, staring down at a picture of Vyse that he held in his small hand. "I want the pleasure of killing Vyse personally. Oh, this time revenge WILL be mine! Ahahaha!"

"As you wish, sir," The Vice Admiral replied, saluting even though DeLoco wasn't facing him. "Call up the troops from their stations, and begin a full sweep of the base. Non-lethal attacks only, I want that order given top priority." It would make it harder to stop the pirates, but the lives of a few common soldiers were a small tithe to pay to keep DeLoco happy.

It was always wise to remain on the good side of a man who had led an Imperial task force to a hostile continent and started an entire war in a far-fetched hope for personal vengeance.

He was about to return to micro-managing the air battle when a noise behind him drew his attention. The door at the far side of the large command center flew open, and a white-haired girl dove in. The guards to either sides raised their rifles, but before they could fire both were cut down. That girl had decapitated them in a millisecond, and now made room for her allies to enter. The next person through the door threw DeLoco into a positive schism- Vyse himself.

"Heya, DeLoco," Vyse spoke up, twirling his swords. The other four guards in the room all ran forward, forming a line and drawing their blades. "Long time no see." The three Ixa'Ness Demons joined him a moment later, weapons ready, followed by Hans and Lapen, with Aika and Fina the last ones in.

"_You_!" DeLoco replied, hopping up and down. "You, who destroyed my precious _Chameleon_- twice... you will _never_ leave this facility alive, Vyse! I will CRUSH you, and CRUSH this entire miserable, dirty continent beneath my mighty heel! Be sure of that! Muahah Guards, take them prisoner at once! GO!"

Before combat could even ensue, Piastol had leapt over everyones' heads and landed next to the Admiral. She raised her scythe to his glass-dome menacingly, and fixed him with a glare of cold fury. "You talk too much," Piastol seethed. "Now you are _our_ prisoner. If you try and move I will kill you."

"Nicely done," Enrique said, grinning. "Piastol, you're really amazing! It's over, Admiral. We demand that you surrender your forces and give up this war at once." The prince walked over to stand closer to the Valuan admiral.

The Admiral was fairly apoplectic by now, shivering and shaking. Steam literally began to spout from his helmet as he furiously looked at the air pirates. "No! No! How can this be! Defeated... so easily?! Prince Enrique, you are _aiding_ and _abetting_ this pirate SCUM? Impossible! I shall never surrender, even to YOU!! NEVER! You will have to _kill_ me first!"

"Very well," Piastol said, twirling her weapon and raising it above her head. She looked fully prepared to end the life of the miniature murderer.

"Uh,_wait_ a moment!" DeLoco interjected, suddenly a lot more submissive. "Maybe I was too... _rash_ in my judgment! Please don't _kill_ me," He added, talking faster as his nerves gave out. His gaze shifted nervously over to Vyse, who was walking towards him. "Vyse! Look, it isn't the Blue Rogue way to kill prisoners! You can't let her _do_ this!.. .Right?"

"Of course not," Vyse said. "Damn shame. You deserve the gallows, DeLoco." He sheathed his blades and crossed his arms, angrily regarding the small Admiral. "Okay, now we-" He noticed movement in his peripheral vision, looking over in time to see Vice Admiral Lucas drawing his sidearm. The officer was a quick shot, and before anyone could react a deafening report echoed in the confined space.

In the same second, Vyse and Lucas fell. Pera's sleeping arrow had embedded itself in the man's chest, luckily for him not a lethal hit. Vyse hit the floor and the air left his lungs in alarm. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his crew and friends ran to him. He reeled from the rapidly unfolding action, and took in a few shallow breaths.

"I'm shot," He managed lamely after a moment, looking down. A large bloody hole had been torn in the shoulder-suspender of his sailors' tunic. He didn't feel anything yet, but knew the pain would eventually come. "Ugh."

Piastol's razor-sharp gaze had left DeLoco, giving him the opening he needed. "_Excellent_ work, Lucas," He roared with laughter, pressing a button on his own sleeve. The room shivered and without warning a thick glass barrier fell around him in a tube shape. "Muahah," He chuckled as the ground beneath him slid out, and sent him tumbling gently down a short tunnel that he knew led to his personal escape ship. It was light and fast, fast enough to even avoid enemy cannon-fire. "THIS isn't the last of me, Vyse! I_will_ kill you someday! And then I'm going to CRUSH you up into a _fine powder_, and then-" His voice faded out into an echoing nothingness.

The Ixa'Ness Demons and Piastol quickly rounded up all of the officers and put them in a small corner, under armed guard. After being assured that Aika and Fina could handle the gunshot, Hans joined Lapen at the computerized control systems. Vyse laid against the floor, all the energy suddenly sucked out of his body the moment the bullet had pierced him. He squirmed weakly as Aika unabashedly ripped his tunic apart, pushing it down to reveal the wound. Enrique, who knew little of such matters, watched and did not interfere.

It was a large, bloody, red and black piercing in his tanned skin, and Fina could barely stand to look at it. Vyse felt ill himself at the sight, and as if finally acknowledging his mortality, his body began to shiver with pain. "Moons," He said, forcing himself to breathe regularly.

"We need to start casting Green Magic ASAP," Aika said, kneeling in front of Vyse and closing her eyes. Fina put out a hand to get her attention, shaking her head.

"No, wait," The Silvite said. "If we heal the wound, the bullet will be sealed inside his body. We need to remove it." She gulped, glancing back to Vyse. "Um... I'm not sure how."

"I left my tweezers on the _Delphinus_," Aika said dryly. "Besides, I'm not sure that either of us is qualified for surgery. We've only got one person who can do that. But he ain't here, either." She made eye contact with Vyse, and he nodded slightly. "Looks like he failed to hit anything vital, Vyse. It's just gonna bleed a lot." Evidence of that was already pooling around him on the formerly pristine metal deck.

"Just... gimme something to numb the pain," He managed. "I can wait until we bring in Doc." He gasped and restrained the urge to cry out in agony, biting his own lip. As an air pirate, he had a duty to be strong for his crew. He tried to think of what his father, Dyne, would do. The old man had undoubtedly been in a similar situation before, especially since he regularly handled firearms.

Both of the girls looked hesitant. They were both in mild shock still, and he couldn't say he blamed them. Eventually Aika said, "Right. Slipara, then. We'll put you out like a light, and when you wake up, you'll be all better in the medical bay." Unlike her usual brazen attitude, she looked full of motherly concern for him now.

Piastol arrived at Vyse, leaning over and making eye contact. She said, "Don't worry, Captain, I've been through worse. You'll be fine. You might need a new tunic, though."

"Damn," The teenager chuckled even as the soft blue glow of magic surrounded him. "That one was my... favorite." He closed his eyes, slumping over. Vyse was nearly instantly asleep, laying there motionless but for the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

"Damn is right," Lapen said, avoiding looking back at Vyse intentionally. "Can't believe the little asshole got away from us. And these controls are god-awful ridiculous." A set of clicks drew his attention. "Hey, I did it! The remote cruisers and battleships are all shutting down. Wow, I'm good."

"Modest, too," Hans said, typing in a set of commands at the console next to him. "Lockdown deactivated, and all of the cannons are going offline. Remaining troops are returning to their barracks, I've put out a faux all-clear message which should hold up long enough for us to get away. The way's clear, radio in for Doc." He looked up at the radar, which showed the robot ships sinking and crashing into the forest violently. A small contact darted away from the base at amazing speed, quicker than the Ixa'Ness prowler had been. "Little son of a bitch." He slammed his fist into a vacant part of the control panel in anger. "Now it's going to keep going on and on."

"Hm..." Lapen pondered for a moment, then walked up and bumped Hans aside. Before the red-headed teenager could object, he had begun to type. "Where's the power plant in this dump, and what's it running off of? Hm... I just had a brilliant idea. I can set the reactor to overload and take this entire base with it."

"You can?" Hans echoed. "How? And more importantly, we'll obviously be killed too, so that plan sucks."

"We're going to be away long before it reaches critical mass," Lapen replied in annoyance. "It'll take the reactor about ten minutes to explode. By that time we'll have left. But these Valuan stooges are all gonna bite the big one. According to 'Dad', they didn't bring a huge force, so this will basically cripple their army. The live ships are being destroyed by your pirate guys right now." He finished typing, and locked the controls, stepping away.

"And we win," Piastol said. "Without a leader or a fleet, the Valuans will have to surrender. This is excellent. The war's over anyway, even if DeLoco escaped us."

"My radio isn't working," Aika said, hitting it. Surprisingly, it still didn't work, the small black box laying inert in her gloved hand. "Where's the station radio? That will probably be on."

0-0

"Moonstone Cannon, fire! Always wanted to say that." There were four live ships left, and they were taking a severe pounding now that the tide had turned. Destructive yellow energy lanced into the air, piercing one of the ships and gutting it. The Valuan cruiser flipped, now belly-up, and began to descend. They were over the jungle still, so it crashed in the heavy trees and flattened a small clearing with its mass. David nodded in satisfaction, gripping the console as another hit shook the mighty _Delphinus_.

They had certainly taken a beating themselves with the unfair odds. The_Delphinus_ had a dozen smoldering holes in its dirty white and blue armor. One of its maneuvering wings had been ripped through like it was paper, the two shreds twisting and banging against the main hull with the wind. The _Claudia_ and the _Primrose_ had both lost their sails and were on full engine power, as well as sporting other superficial wounds. _Ironclad_ was bent and warped, and looked even worse than it had at the start of combat.

This didn't stop them from destroying the enemy, however. By focusing their fire on the ships with live crew in them, they saved time and ammunition and by the time the robot ships fell all the live ones were already taking damage. With a final, thundering volley from the_Claudia_'s assault cannons, the last Valuan gunboat exploded. Bits and pieces of the wrecked airship fell like a scattered rain across the lands of Ixa'taka, belching fire through the sky.

"_And then there were two_," Clara giggled. "_David, we're forming up on your wing. Centime, how are you doing over there? You look like you've taken some severe hits_."

"_We're having problems_," Centime admitted over the radio, the sounds of roaring fires framing his gentle voice. "_I believe we can stay airborne, but we're going to pull back and let you take the last two kills. The old girl's running out of steam, as well._" The older iron airship was indeed beginning to fall back from combat. The Valuan ships had no chance to pursue, however, as the other three Blue Rogue ships came at them in tandem.

It didn't take long for the last enemy ships to decide that their fight was over. They drew up torn white banners from the sides of their aflame warships and transmitted their official surrender. The Valuan airships were allowed to land under their own power, where Ixa'takan warriors awaited them on the ground.

"Vyse and the others did it," Naomi cheered. "David, incoming from DeLoco's base. It's Aika."

The Vice Captain walked over to the radio station to personally listen in. The redhead sounded fraught with concern. "_David, Vyse has been shot. We're headed back to the _Delphinus_, tell Doc to stand by. No other real injuries._"

"Moons," David shook his head. "Wilco. I'll get Doc at once. We're pulling up to the base now, take the prowler and transfer over." He switched off the radio without further comment. "I knew that boy was gonna get himself shot some time. Doc, this is the Bridge. Get your surgical table ready, Vyse took a lead one and the team's RTS now."

Doc took only a moment to reply. "_OK_." As when the Ixa'Ness Demons boarded them, the medic took a moment to reflect on how unfortunate it was that they were so ready to treat injuries. Air piracy was an excessively dangerous job, of course. He looked over to Maria. "You should go down to Engineering and help them, Maria. I'm about to operate on someone." Even though the little girl had seen blood and guts before, he didn't feel like exposing her to the sight of a shot Vyse. She nodded and silently exited, her Piccolo in tow.

He had already gotten his equipment out and cleared the surgical table by the time the group burst into the double-doors. Vyse was being carried in by Piastol and David, as gently as they could manage with any haste. He had regained enough consciousness to blink and look up blandly at Doc. "Hey, Doc."

"Captain," Doc said, making room for them. They placed him upon the table, as other members of the crew hovered around and watched. "That looks like a nasty hit, Vyse. You trip on your shoes?"

"Forgot how to duck," He replied, squirming weakly as the medic removed all of his shirt.

"Don't move," He reprimanded. "I'm gonna go in and remove the bullet first, then it's just simple healing spells and some rest. Nothing to it. Uh... it is gonna hurt a lot, but I don't want to put you under another Slipara until I can ascertain the full extent of the damage." Morphine was a dangerously addictive substance, but highly useful when magic was out of the question. "Dope him," He said to Piastol. "There's a needle in the left-side drawers. I want no more than thirty half-mils."

"So I'm gonna be fine?" Vyse asked.

"Fine as you were before you got yourself shot," Doc replied cheerily. Piastol retrieved the needle and handed it quietly to him. The medic nodded his thanks and got to work, injecting the painkiller. He didn't need to wait long before it obviously took effect, and Vyse drifted off again into darkness. "Now, let's get that bullet out of there..." Most of the crew left at that, not feeling up to seeing the procedure done.

0-0

It was over. DeLoco had fled all the way up North Ocean until he hit a Valuan outpost, where he told his full story about his defeat, with a few 'alterations' to suit him. Even his slanted story couldn't hide the cold facts. The Admiral had lost hundreds of men and millions of gold in equipment and machines on a personal quest for revenge, and failed to conquer anything. Galcian himself decided that Ixa'taka was no longer of any concern, its Crystal having already been taken and the people there utterly harmless to them. The continent wasn't worth spending any more forces on.

Tens of thousands had died in attacks, and all but one major population center had been burned to the ground by DeLoco's fleet. The forests were riddled with burnt acres and rubble from the aerial battle. The Ixa'Ness were all but extinct. DeLoco's demented touch had left a permanent scar upon all of Ixa'taka, of that there was no doubt.

Despite that, the people were still there, and they were victorious. With the aid of the Blue Rogues, they had finally thrown of the yoke of Valuan oppression and interference. They could rebuild. With the help of Centime the Tinker, they could advance and harness technology in a way never before thought possible of the darkest Arcadian race.

Vyse had recovered fully within the short span of a few days, and was back in command of the _Delphinus_ and her crew. He stood on one of the numerous platforms of Horteka, enjoying the view of the huge sprawling city. Aika and Fina were to either side of him, but they were all in silence, enjoying the moment.

Gilder had just told them the news from his contacts in the civilized world that Valua was pulling out of Ixa'taka for good. He was headed up the platform, and leapt aboard one of the Ixa'takan pulley systems. An operator at the bottom began to gently pull it upwards, and it ascended through spiraling levels of bark and wood. He leapt off at the top of a platform, and found himself in front of a pair of nicely-hewn double doors.

He had told people that he had the innate ability to sense bars and cantinas, and he hadn't been joking. Gilder had found out in a matter of weeks the best establishment in all of Horteka, which was a tavern run by a former hunter called the Kyt Ask'l. The tavern was situated high in the city, signifying its' wealth and prosperity. "Hello, Captain," The barkeep rumbled at him as the entered.

"Hail," Gilder said, nodding to him. "Here to celebrate our victory, again. Give me another local brew." The Ixa'takan version of loqua was amazingly bitter, but it also had the toughest kick Gilder had ever tasted. He felt like testing himself.

"Certainly," The middle-aged native replied, leaning behind the counter. "You made it just in time. The new attraction for the Kyt Ask'l is going to be arriving any minute now."

"Oh? Excellent." Gilder smirked. The dancing girls that the former hunter hired were always the most beautiful specimens. The roguish Blue Rogue prided himself on his eye for women as well as loqua, for sure. With the right amount of gold, he was also entitled to show off other things that gave him great pride.

The stage was a long wooden platform raised above the many populated tables, and was totally vacant. Curtains concealed an archway in the back, as well as several torch-lights. The first cue was when the magical torches sprang to life, sending pyres of green flames into the air. The curtains rippled and opened up, revealing a girl so beautiful every man in the establishment was given pause. They all turned to look at her, the din of conversation drawing to silence within moments.

She was very young, but had obviously matured well. Her body was curvaceous, but she wasn't soft at all, possessing the sinewy muscle and well-defined form of a true dancer. Her stark-white hair was long and drawn up in a functional pony-tail that swayed as she danced. The dancer's eyes were fiery and determined, and demanded the attention she so freely got. Attention also stemmed from her dangerously trimmed leaf two-piece outfit, which just barely covered enough to make it 'alright'. Longer leaves trailed from her waist and flowed with her dance, along with an elegant yellow ribbon tied to her right arm.

Gilder was no arrogant man (he just happened to be better than a large percentage of people), but he felt convinced that she kept looking over to him. At first he was sure it was just a usual ploy to get money or other valuables out of flattery, but she wasn't being obvious about it at all. Little side-glances that he barely noticed made up all of his attention, and to the untrained eye she didn't seem interested in him at all. His cunning mind decided there was probably something more to it.

Until she finished, however, he also decided to enjoy the show. She had more grace and dexterity than anyone he had seen in his long career of watching such people. The aboriginal dancing styles of the Ixa'takans were basic and crude by Mid Ocean standards but they had a certain charming appeal which couldn't be matched. It was also pleasing to watch her anyway, so that helped.

She went on for a while, and Gilder had consumed a good number of pints of the bitter local brew. A man with less tolerance might have become hazy, but he was still sharp as a rapier. She finally stopped dancing, much to the mass disappointment of her audience. The dancer retreated quickly behind the curtain, and soon enough the ambient conversations began to pick up again.

He was about to ask for details about the girl, when she sat down next to him at the bar. To move so quickly she was obviously eager for something, and was still in her skimpy dancers' outfit. "Captain."

"Hello there," Gilder replied, setting down the hand-carved cup that had nearly been drained. He turned his head to look at her, a clever smile on his handsome face. "That was a beautiful performance on the stage."

"Thank you," She said, her bronzed cheeks reddening slightly. "My name is Merida, Captain Gilder. I have a request to make of you." She was understandably a little timid, but he could also tell how motivated she was. "In your travels, have you ever discovered a floating bottle containing a message?"

Not the expected request, but Gilder was never one to be caught flat-footed. He took a moment to think, recalling decades of piracy and general lively living. In that time, he never recalled any messages in bottles. _Isn't that from a Nasrian children's story?_ "Hm. I don't think I remember anything like that, I'm sorry." He noticed her face fall after he told her that. Feeling guilty for making such a beautiful girl sad, he quickly added, "But maybe my friends could help. I know many sailors, perhaps one of them has found it."

As if sensing he would be invoked, David burst dramatically through the doors of the tavern. "Gilder," He said, huffing and puffing as if from a great jog, "The armada's back! Tikatika just spotted an entire fleet headed this way."

"What?" The pirate was out of his seat instantly, his gaze full of shock. _I thought we got rid of those guys?! Damnit..._

"Yeah, they're being led by Ramirez himself," David continued, the part of his face that was visible full of worry. "He's wearing his best pretty pink bonnet." With that last part, the considerable tension instantly dropped out of the room, replaced by Gilder's sheer annoyance.

"Ass," Gilder accused, pointing a gloved finger at him.

"Yes, sir," David replied cheerfully, walking closer. He looked over at Merida and nodded respectfully. "Hello there. I'm Gilder's Vice Captain, David LeCroix. I hope you haven't convinced him to spend too much yet. He still has a ship to fly."

"You should like my mom," Gilder replied. "I was just trying to help Merida. She approached me."

Merida nodded, ignoring the odd dynamic between the two friends entirely. "I am looking for a particular item that I... lost, several years ago. It's very dear to me, and I thought that, as a sailor of the world, Captain Gilder might know about it." She looked down, obviously devoted to the item.

"Hm?" David had a seat. "I'd be happy to help, if I can. Tell me about it." When she had explained the specifics about her message in the bottle, he paused. "Hm... I might know something... hold on. Yeah, when we were flying through the Dark Rift, a bunch of debris bombarded the _Delphinus_' armor shell. The crew collected some of the items that were interesting, and put them in the hold. Marco mentioned something about some broken bottle with a withered message in it, but I didn't pay it much mind." He was glad at times like this for his near-encyclopedic knowledge.

"Really?" She was the one who sprang from her seat now. "May I please have it?"

David paused for another moment. "Don't see why not, if it's yours. Blue Rogues are pledged to return property to their rightful owners, unless you're armed... better check with Vyse first, though." He also tended to adhere to procedure, even in unusual cases like this. He stood up, and said, "I'll take you to him personally. Gilder, you coming along? Or can you stand up." Indignantly, the Blue Rogue got to his feet and brushed off his great-coat.

"I swear to drunk I'm not the Moons, ossifer," Gilder said as dryly as he could manage before cracking a wry smile and reaching back into his coat. He withdrew a bag of gold coins and deposited them on the counter. "Thanks for all the memories, barkeep. We're off now."

It didn't take them long to reach where Vyse and the girls had been, but they were no longer there. "Hm... let's head back to the dock," David suggested, and they set out again. Even though they had been in Horteka for good amounts of time, they were in danger of being lost but not for Merida's navigational help. She conducted them on the twisting metal and wood platforms, ropes, and slides, and soon they were nearing the enormous branch that held the docks.

0-0

There had really been nothing to it. Merida had found her message, and was eternally grateful. She begged to join the crew, to which Vyse easily relented. "More the merrier," He said, as he did to others before. Now both her and Tikatika would join the ever-increasing ranks of Vyse's Blue Rogues. Hans, who had planned to join since the last time they had met, had also been accepted as an able engineer. The crew now held a huge and widely diverse cross-section of all Arcadia, people from all walks of life who came together and worked together aboard the great battleship.

Fifteen days since that cold, rainy night when the _Delphinus_ had arrived in North Ocean, the damaged ship was prepared for departure. Temporary repairs had patched up most of the holes, but they planned a full refit when they arrived at Nasrad or maybe even Crescent Island, depending on its status. The King had once again thanked them profoundly, and the Ixa'takans filled their cargo holds with precious jewels, gold, and exotic fruit supplies.

The pirate alliance had decided to part ways then. Centime and his family remained in Ixa'taka, to help the locals even more. Lapen, surprisingly, chose to stay with his 'father'. "Deal's a deal," He grumbled lowly when everyone learned of his decision. Gilder was headed for North Ocean territory again, to have some more 'fun' with the Valuans before returning to Nasr territory. Clara, always eager to follow Gilder, said her goodbyes and sped off in pursuit.

"Hell of a pit-stop," David remarked, looking out over the bridge with his arms crossed. Marco and Pinata were standing at the large viewports, as usual, looking out upon the crowds of people cheering them on. "Reminds me of our departure from Yafutoma."

Naomi said, "This is an interesting country. Maybe some day I'll return here. After going home, of course." Lawrence walked into the room and silently assumed the helm, waiting for Vyse's command to leave. The _Delphinus_ hovered near the large hidden city, close enough to see the masses on the branches below.

Vyse nodded. "Lawrence! Set course for South Ocean. The current will work in our favor, this time." The winds, which had mucked down the _Little Jack_'s progress months ago, would now favor them and shove them along at amazing speeds north-bound. "While we're on route, let's stop off at Esperanza for an hour, and collect yet another rogue."_Don, I hope this is proof enough that sailing's still worth getting in to_. "Then we get to see what Gilder's friends did with our 100k, heh."

"Aye. Engaging the throttle," Lawrence said. The ship spun around, and the turbines roared. They were away, soaring for 'home'.


	14. This Is Our Land

**Authors' Note:** Oh teh nose! No lemon yet? Weeellll... that's where you, my beloved and adoring readers come in. Democracy time! Lemon or no? It'll be VyseFina, btw. Make sure to leave an opinion, I am honestly on the fence about this. Well, either way, enjoy this turbo-boosted New Years' Gift for ya'll. :D

* * *

Chapter Fourteen- This Is Our Land

It had been three lunar cycles since the _Delphinus_ and her valorous crew sank into the inky depths of the Dark Rift. They had laid waste to a Valuan battle group commanded by the Ironwall Admiral, and were out to explore the lands under the Blue Moon. They were full of hope, and their resistance against the Empire inspired the onlookers of Esperanza to find their own hope and energy. Don, a former top-tier Armada pilot who had turned to the bottle, was one of those people.

As he finished his fifth bottle of old, stale loqua, he reflected on his own folly for what seemed like the millionth time. After Vyse had left, there was still nothing to do, and the eager expectation was slowly hardened by the rough conditions yet again. He had taken up the bottle again. Others had begun to reconstruct their old, rusty boats, and a few people were near completion. Don's own boat was somewhere in the Dark Rift, he expected, so that was out of the question. He came by to help them quietly, but over time returned to his old habits.

Vyse hadn't come back in all that time. Don tried to be patient, but he knew that in all likelihood he had been killed in the dark abyss stretching out as if to taunt him through the window. _Even if he made it back_, He thought to himself gloomily, _Why would he come back here again? I'd get as far away as I possibly could, that's for sure._ Maybe he could hitch a ride on one of the refurbished boats, make his way up to Nasr or one of the Mid Ocean islands at least.

He grabbed number six and stood up. With his high tolerance, he was barely tipsy after merely five bottles, and was fine to walk to the tavern doors and push them open. The metal doors creaked and yielded, revealing the dusty, rusted old Esperanza. People walked along it, although some of them seemed markedly more energetic than before- it was hard to return to normal after such a vibrant young soul passed nearby. The large battlements of the fort also showed signs of recent repair, and no longer threatened to collapse inward.

The truly unchanging element was the bloody red sky. The hopeless vista of the city, the stormy, dusty permanently tinted air seemed like an oppressive blanket over any positive thought Don could muster. He was still stuck under this damned red sky, and was likely to be for a while longer. Don hated the red sky, hated it like it was a vile person, an effigy, that symbolized his self-exile to the hopeless city.

While he was on that, he might as well go through the bad memories of his time in the Armada again. It had been truly bad, at least in his opinion. Bad enough to make him want to come to the deteriorating Esperanza. He was already a fan of loqua, but that was strictly forbidden. It was also forbidden to disobey an order from a superior, even if Don thought that 'superior' didn't deserve his rank.

_Alfonso had been taken literally off-guard by what his pilot had just said to him. "W-what was that?" He asked, his girlish voice quivering slightly in shock. The other officers on the bridge had all turned towards the pilot in question, who had stopped working at his console._

_"I said I'm not going to do it," Don replied in the calmest voice he could manage, despite how incredibly angry he was. "And that you're an evil little puke who makes me wish royal abortions were more common. Sir." Months of sheer frustration aboard the newly-commissioned _HMS Cygnus_ were boiling over, for sure. The easily emotional senior flight officer had chafed under Belleza's careful handling, so the bumbling arrogance of the First Admiral was the perfect gunpowder._

_"H-How dare you address your better in such a manner, you Lower City filth?!" Alfonso was quick to recover and begin to generate outrage and choler, however. "You've no right to talk to me in that way! I gave you a direct order!"_

_"Am I supposed to follow such an order, even though I know it's wrong?" Don's voice was raising in volume as the Admiral's was raising in pitch. "You heard the Moons-damned intel reports same as all of us! The Nasrian defenses are weakest in the south. Instead, you're going to go for more 'glory' and get your men killed in the process!" Those who served under Alfonso were known for being considered even more expendable than the usual Imperial grunt. "You are wrong!"_

_"I AM NEVER WRONG," Alfonso exploded childishly, stamping his finely-polished boot onto the metal deck of his flagship. "Guards! Take this insolent WRETCH away! AFTER we win this battle, I will deal with the slime myself!" The security soldiers of the bridge had been quick to obey, roughly taking Don down to the horrible conditions of the brig._

_Of course, the Armada had won the battle, but only at the cost of nearly half of their fleet. The clever Nasrian tactician had squeezed the fleet like an orange of their blood and tears before finally accepting the inevitable defeat of his smaller force. Alfonso once again took all the glory, while the fallen were forgotten by his incredible ego._

_The Admiral had him sent back to Valua, where he stood trail. They made so much noise about 'disrespecting' someone who obviously deserved no respect. It was then that Don lost all faith in the Empire or her higher commanders. With the exception of Gregorio and Prince Enrique, the only worthy things to come out of the capital in 50 years, the other Admirals had categorically condemned him. Even Belleza joined in once the others had made their voices known._

_Enrique's careful pleading had managed to turn it from a matter of life and death to hard labor. The Empress still had an inkling of regard for the young monarch, and agreed to commute his heavy sentence. Don served five years of hard labor on the Isla de Dolor, and was stripped of his rank. He had resigned after that, and fled to Esperanza._

At least here he got to drink and nobody gave a damn. He took yet another swig, walking quietly into the main courtyard of the city. The dingy metal shelters, erected from salvage and scrap, were still in various states of dismal repair. Most people had been as quick to loose as to gain Vyse's ennobling courage.

"Ship coming in," Someone shouted down from one of the tower battlements on the wall. Arrivals at all were rare things in Esperanza, and curious people began to gravitate outside to have a look at the approaching airship. Don paused, and felt the faintest hope, joining the group of people headed for the docks.

It was still just a faint speck on the horizon, but that speck was visibly growing. "She's coming in fast," A former sailor noted to everyone, and a chorus of agreements lamely followed. "Lookout! What do you got?"

"Looks metal," A man with a skyglass replied from atop a broken pilothouse to the right. "I'd say it's Valuan. They've got cannon, too. Hey, that looks familiar... get up here!" He motioned to the man, who joined him atop the hulk. He handed him the skyglass. "Look out there!" The man did, and he gasped.

"It's the _Delphinus_," He declared.

0-0

"It took us a day and a half to ford South Ocean in the _Little Jack_," Vyse said, amazed, "But we've crossed all of it in less than four hours! Look at the speedometer, it's nearly off the scale." He pointed to the instrument, which was recording a breathtaking speed. The entire ship shivered slightly from the enormous acceleration, as the winds blasted it in tandem with its own turbines.

"_Sugoi_," Naomi said, gripping one of the control consoles. "This is faster than any of our Tenkou ships could ever go. The winds have enormous power behind them." The Vice Captain also noticed how the sky had turned incredibly red. "It's like this on our side of the Rift, as well... to the far south, the sky goes from water to fire."

"_Captain, Esperanza in sight_," Domingo's voice fought for dominance over the harsh roar of the winds through the talking-tube.

Vyse didn't bother to acknowledge, walking up to the view-screens and peering into the blood-red skies. In the absolute distance, a speck of land had crossed into vision. It was the southern-most tip of Nasr, the barren cliffs host to a single human settlement. He squinted, using his own glass eyepatch to magnify it. "Still looks like crap. Hey, Lawrence, aren't we coming in pretty fast?"

"I'm trying to shave our vector," Lawrence replied. "The rudders aren't responding fully. When we get closer I'll be able to turn around and start to decelerate." The winds were tapering down already from their full speed, but the titanic gusts still shoved them forward urgently.

"Just get us to Esperanza," David ordered. "Without crashing."

"I'll try," Came the indolent response from the mercenary. The_Delphinus_ knifed through the air, almost a blur with it's white and blue paint streaking against the red sky. Two minutes later they were drawing near the walled and abandoned city, and Lawrence had finally managed to turn the battleship backwards. Due to the aerodynamic design of the hull, the speed of the ship alone kept it lifted, so he focused the engine power on short, powerful blasts of the turbines in the opposite direction. In this way, he reduced their speed steadily until they were traveling at a more sane velocity.

They had nearly hit the the Esperanzan cliffs in the process, the violent fan-blades mounted behind the ship meters away from chopping rocks. Now Enrique's airship hung suspended, floating in a docile manner contrasting starkly with its previous massive speed, and with Esperanza in plain sight.

"Just hold her here, Lawrence, I'll take a skiff," Vyse said. "Everyone, wait here for me. I'll be back in a few minutes with our newest member of the crew." Following his instructions, Lawrence locked the helm controls and went off-duty, vanishing into the hallway quickly and silently. David nodded to Vyse as he left.

He went alone this time, reaching the lifeboat hangar and pressing the controls to open the doors. Since the ship wasn't in flight, only a gentle gust rolled in as red light bathed over the metal escape ships and the _Askar_ at bay. He leapt aboard the nearest skiff and got the engine roaring, glad he remembered how to operate all of the machinery. The fan at the end pushed the lifeboat along it's rails until it reached the end, and then shoved it into the open sky.

It was insanely close, wedged between the solid cliffs and the carved back-armor of the _Delphinus_, so Vyse ascended until he had cleared the conning tower and then continued straight for the rusted docks of Esperanza. He wasn't too surprised to find a crowd of people greeting him at the dock. The people were cheering and calling out to Vyse, and he waved back slightly sheepishly. Adoring masses were getting to be a familiar sight to the teenager.

At the head of the crowd, standing silently with one hand on his trusty bottle and the other on his hip, was Don. The two men locked eyes for a long moment, and then the former Armada pilot grinned. "So, you did it, then? Crossing the Rift, I mean."

"Of course," Vyse replied, landing the ship on one of the docks but not disembarking. "Just like I said. We also circumnavigated the world, too, but that's a different story. So, what have you decided?" He felt he already knew the answer, but the question had to be asked.

Don pondered for a moment. "Ah, what the hell. Better than sitting around this dump for a dingy ride out." Without a glance back, he walked up to the boat and climbed in. His motions were slightly slurred, so Vyse helped him into a sitting position at the bottom of the skiff before returning to the wheel. "Wait." He stumbled to his feet. "Can I have the wheel? Ain't flown in so long..."

"Sure," Vyse grinned. "Just go easy with her. This boat's got the same engine in her as the _Delphinus_ does, so no need to force anything. And try not to hit the cliff."

"I'll do my best," The man replied, sticking his tongue out in a highly mature fashion. "Where's the hangar on that beast?" Even as he asked, he reached for the throttle and pulled it up. The boat jerked upwards roughly. "Woah! You were right..." He eased off, slowly getting a feel for the controls as he spun the boat and kicked it into different gears. The muscle-memory was there, and with the stimulus he was soon remembering how to fly well enough. His drunken status did make all of his motions slightly sloppy, but it wasn't a major problem.

"Hangar's just around back," Vyse said. "Might be a little tricky getting in."

"I got it," The Esperanzan assured him, spinning the wheel and turning the skiff back towards her mothership. He climbed upwards as he approached the ship, gliding over the deck and almost clipping the floodlights. "Not to worry," He said, chuckling nervously as the ship grazed the rocks with a horrid scraping noise. "I'm like a leaf on the wind, you know!" The 'leaf' banged against the _Delphinus_, too, but still managed to get into the lifeboat hangar somehow.

To Don's great surprise, he saw the Prince of Valua himself standing in the dock waiting for them. As Vyse watched the drunk be surprised, he remembered that Don had actually never seen Enrique before. When they had first gotten to the city, as Enrique didn't want anyone to remind him, he was terribly airsick and stayed aboard the ship for most of the time. Although he was used to it, he could see how someone could be a little surprised at first.

"Welcome aboard," Enrique said, to Don. He didn't bother to introduce himself, but looked friendly enough, too. Suddenly, his memory of another time, years ago, clicked into place and he gasped. _The trial... the man who stood up to my idiot 'brother'..._ "Don! Oh, my..." He hadn't met any former prisoners of Valua besides Fina and the Blue Rogues, and they were friendly, but he realized the danger that disgruntled victims could pose.

Don's face was now an enigma, and he took a step forward. "Prince Enrique." He drew in a long breath, and said, "I see you remember me. I've wanted to do something for a long damn time." He stepped closer still, making the blonde a little worried. Without warning his hand shot out, but it waited there to shake his own. "Thanks for standing up for me. You and Gregorio were the only ones. All the other 'higher ups' decided against me, but you did the right thing."

Vyse blinked. "Something I'm missing here?"

"Plenty," Don replied, chuckling. "I'll fill you in later." He vigorously shook the prince's more delicate hand, then relinquished it. "For now, let's meet the other members of your crew! They're probably as surprising as his Majesty here... Hey, got Admiral Karzhai here yet, heh?"

"Not quite, he's got other obligations. _Jihad_, freedom, all that stuff." Vyse motioned to both of them to follow. "I'll give you the grand tour. You probably guessed that we stole this ship, but Enrique made it all possible."

Enrique blushed. "No, I just made it easier. I'm sure you could have done it anyway. I was only doing the just thing."

"He stole what Valua took from us, and helped us to take the _Delphinus_," Vyse said. "It was pretty impressive, all the same." He led them up a flight of metal steps and down a long hallway, to the distinctive glass double-doors of the medical bay. "This is where we stash the wounded until we have time for a mercy killing." He opened the doors. "Hey, is the Doctor in?"

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," Doc said, emerging from his side-office. "Hey, Captain, Enrique. And who's this, this Don fellow I've heard about?"

"Hey," Don said, waving with the hand that wasn't clutching his bottle. "I'm joining the crew, so I hope you're a good physician, um..."

"Just call me Doc," The middle-aged man said in a friendly way. He turned towards the corner, where Piastol was neatly sorting surgical tools. "Forgive my daughter, she's a mite shy now a days. This is Piastol."

Vyse knew that Piastol used to be an evil woman, a heartless butcherer and bounty huntress, but he had gotten over that. The new Piastol that was on his crew wanted to help people, and she had been of great service already. He realized as Don reacted that most people still thought of her in the old, terrifying way.

"Th-the Angel of Death is here?" Don asked, taking a step back in alarm and nearly running into Enrique. "By the grace of the Moons and all their low caffeine beverages..." Piastol looked up from her work to see what the problem was, holding a particularly large surgical knife that was encrusted with blood from a recent operation. This probably didn't do much to temper her image in his mind.

Doc blinked. "Um... is there a problem? Ooh." He realized quickly what the issue was. "Oh, don't worry about her! She's good now."

The drunkard took several long moments to process that, looking warily at the confused, lanky girl. "But... she's evil," He protested lamely. "No offense meant, ma'am," He added with nervous haste.

Piastol looked down, and suddenly bolted from the room with a speed only she could muster. Obviously being reminded of her past sins was too much for her, still. Vyse sighed. "Don, it's complicated, but she realizes now what she did was horrible. She wants to repent, that's why she's helping the Blue Rogues. But she's still a bit sensitive about it... so you might want to watch your tongue." He grinned evilly. "Or she might _relapse_ long enough to slit your throat. Muahah."

Don momentarily considered bashing his loqua bottle over his Captain's head, then decided against it. _Waste of perfectly good loqua_. "You're just a factory of laughs, you know that? Damn, more surprises each minute. The Angel of Death, the Prince of Valua... what next?"

Naomi Takako walked through the doors to the medical bay in her Tenkou armor. "Hey, Doc, what's wrong with Piastol? I saw her blur down the hallway at the speed of light..."

"What's next is my second Vice Captain, who hails from the lands under the Blue Moon across the Dark Rift," Vyse replied, grinning ear-to-ear. Don found he couldn't stop staring for a little while, because he was struck dumb by the truth of his impossible pronouncement, and also because she was rather pretty, even under her scaly armor. "Naomi, this is Don. He's joining our crew."

"My greetings," She said, bowing to him. When she noticed he was staring, she asked, "Is something the matter?" She was reminded of her time in Ixa'taka, and the mutual culture shock.

"I'm gonna go talk with Piastol," Doc said, "While you show Don around some more." With that, he moved past Naomi and down the hallway. "Um... which way did she go?" Naomi pointed towards the hallway that led down to the crew quarter decks. "Thanks!" The medic made his way through the ship in a hurry, the sounds of conversation dying quickly behind him. He passed Belle in the hallway.

"Doc," The clumsy girl said. "Looking for Piastol?" He nodded. "Try her quarters! She ran past me so fast, she nearly knocked me over with a crate of grenades! That wouldn't have been very good... anyway, good luck!" She smiled genially even as he took off again.

The_Delphinus_' crew decks were so spacious each crew member got their own room, and there were several spares, as the battleship was built to handle a large number of officers and sailors. The name of who the room belonged to was posted on a sheet of paper, written in Valuan. Doc went by memory, pacing down the long hallways and avenues until she found the right room. The door was sealed shut.

"Piastol?" He said, knocking on the door. The impact of his gentle hits echoed through the solid steel construction. For a moment, he thought that nobody was there, but then the door swung open. The former mercenary flung herself at Doc, clinging tightly and beginning to sob.

Alarmed, he gently moved her over to her bed and sat them both down. "I'm sorry," She managed between sobs, "I shouldn't break down like this... got work to do..."

"Shhh," Doc said, gently smiling. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Piastol. I know it's still hard to cope..."

"When I saw his face..." She tried to dig herself deeper into his large white coat, "That man, his look... terror... I've seen so many people like that... people about to _die_... people I was about to _kill_!" She was trembling, even as Doc held her lovingly.

"The man was half-drunk off his mind," Doc reminded her. "He was ignorant."

"No, he knew," She wailed, "He _knew_ me. The real me, the _horrible_ me! I want to help, but... I can feel it sometimes and it's... I'm sorry, Doc, I'm sorry..." Words failed her, but the tears continued to flow. Doc didn't speak, either, for the longest time. Eventually Piastol fell silent, and he could tell by the steady rhythm of her breath that she was asleep. He sighed and stood up, laying her onto the bed and pulling a light blanket over her.

She had been working an incredibly long time, and had skipped breakfast and barely eaten any of Polly's lunch. Doc supposed that under the stress, all she needed was the right trigger to send her spiraling into despair. As he left her room, he thought about all he was doing to try and help her adjust, and what else he could do.

When he got back to the medical bay, it was empty, except for Maria and Piccolo. His smaller adopted girl looked up in surprise as he entered, looking more like the tired middle-aged man he was and less like the cheerful doctor most people saw. When he noticed her, he tried on a smile and found it didn't fit well. Still, his tone was one of fatherly care. "Hey, Maria."

"H-Hello," She managed, nervously. Her voice was like a delicate breeze, and if you weren't listening hard enough it was entirely possible to miss it. Even so, her voice gave great comfort to Doc, who now smiled in earnest a bit.

"Is there something you wanted?" He asked. She shook her head slowly. "You just wanted to be around?" This time she nodded. "Alright. That's fine, Maria. Piastol isn't feeling well right now, it's nothing big but she's real tired and sleeping. When she wakes up you can spend time with her, too." She still didn't know Piastol was her sister, but to her she was still a good friend.

He went into his office and sat down, pulling out the medical records he had been working on before Vyse and Don interrupted him. "Back to work..."

0-0

Nasr was large. It had taken them over a day to traverse over the land's vast, unending deserts. They passed through a Fleet checkpoint, and were invited to stop off at Nasrad for supplies and to parlay with Admiral Karzhai, who had his command there. Vyse declined, but promised to stop off on the way back, in a hurry to return to Crescent Isle. They kept on, traveling through the night.

By the time the distinctive quarter-moon of rock appeared to Tikatika and Domingo, the sun had risen for several hours and was warming the airs under the Red Moon considerably. The sky was remarkably clearing, even of the gentle white clouds overhead, revealing brilliant light-blue all around them. Most of the crew was already awake, including Vyse. The teenager grinned. "We're finally back! What did it take us, three lunar cycles?"

"Closer to four," David corrected him. "At least we made it. It's official now, we are the best ever. Incoming transmission from the island."

The withered and yet energetic tone of Brabham's voice appeared over the speakers. "_Heya, Cap'n Vyse! Was wondering when you'd come by to check on the work. I know you'll love what me and Izmael have done with the place, heh. We've completed the dock, so you can bring the ship in. Opening the door now_."

In the thickest, central part of the crescent's rear, a huge set of lines appeared in the seemingly solid stone. A thick slab began to slide outwards, suspended on steel cables and powered by sets of moonstone engines. Like Vyse's birthplace of Pirate Island, it appeared Crescent Island could also secret away ships inside a hollow core now. "This reminds me of the first day we met," Fina said, watching the hatch expand until it was fully open.

"Yeah," Aika said. "Well, Don, think you can get us in there?"

"With my help he'll manage," Lawrence said. "Might be tough, though." His deadpan delivery seemed to make his dry humor better, and not worse. He stood next to the new Helmsman, who was as sober as he'd been in years.

"Leaf on the wind," He said to her, gripping the wheel and spinning it gently. The _Delphinus_ responded by changing heading, the engines thundering under the deck and propelling them forward. Crescent Isle kept growing in the view-screens. As it got larger, they could see the island had changed on the outside, too. The entire forest of the island had been cleared away besides a few isolated trees here and there, and in its place the clearing was covered by sturdy wooden constructs. Izmael had kept the pond formed at one end of the crescent, however, and now Fina's Delphin flag flew gracefully from the tip above. A long rail led up to a balcony suspended high above the new village.

"Our very own base." Aika smirked. "It looks pretty cool. Hey, Vyse, we've sailed across the world, gotten a ship, crew, and base, and recovered half of the Moon Crystals. What now?"

"What else?" Vyse balled his fist and took a step closer to the viewport. "I want to see more! More of Arcadia, and all the surprises that it still holds. I don't think I'll be happy until I see the entire world, you know."

Fina giggled delicately. "We've just made it home and already Vyse wants to go again. That's so typical of him." Everyone agreed with the Silvite's assessment, chuckling.

Don got the ship close, headed straight for the open maw waiting for them. The _Delphinus_ slid in, long prow fitting well in the darkened cave. As the battleship nestled itself completely in, the hatch began to swing in behind it, shutting off the ray of natural light. In its place, dozens of fluorescent bulbs around the cave sprang to life, sending a warm glow over everything. Finally, the ship touched down, coming to a rest on the solid rock sheets beneath.

A base had been carved into the cave on one side of the ship. Unlike the structures up top, the platform and the buildings on it were made of painted metal. It included a large crane that came to rest over the ship, and a boarding ramp with guardrail. Don extended their own ramp to meet it, sloping down as the deck was still elevated relative to the dock.

"All hands, this is the bridge," Naomi said over the PA system to the entire ship, "We have touched down on Crescent Island. Secure your stations and debark at will."

"Those old farts are waiting for us on the dock," David said. "Let's go. Can't believe they're still around, heh." He walked out of the bridge, and made his way to the lower level that connected out to the main deck. Several crew members followed him, while others headed for various other places. The Vice Captain snapped his fingers suddenly. "Hey Marco, go get Hans and tell him to get those Yafutoman drive plans," He said to the Valuan urchin/sailor. "Old Brabham's going to have an epilepsy over that." The boy nodded and ran off down the hall.

The boarding ramp would only admit the crew in a single-file line, and Vyse, as Captain, got to go first. He arrived on the dock and took a good look around, whistling. "You like it?" Izmael asked, approaching him with Brabham in tow. "The port's mostly done, as you can see, but it's still a little rough around the edges. Another week and it'll be perfect! Ba-bam!" He spun around once victoriously.

"I love it," Vyse replied. "You did all this with 100k? Aika could barely buy a ship for that, but you guys are real pros at this!"

"Been at it longer than you been breathin'," Brabham replied, stroking his beard. "The _Delphinus_ looks plenty torn up, but that's to be expected. I see layers of temporary repairs, it looks like you've had to patch it up multiple times."

"We've been through everything," Vyse said. "The Dark Rift, a battle with a Gigas, fleet engagements several times, you name it. We're lucky the thing still flies. I'm sure you'll have fun patching it up, huh?"

"You know it," The engineer replied happily. "Good as new. Better, in fact. I had a smith make some new armor-plate components for the ship. They're made of a newly-discovered metalloid alloy. Real sturdy, tougher than reinforced steel. The armor should allow you to power your way through even major stone reefs."

"You've both done a lot for us," Vyse said gratefully. "I'd love it if you would both join the crew aboard the ship when we set out again. Even though you aren't a ship specialist, Izmael, I'm sure you'll be of great help." Both of the old men looked enticed by the offer.

"Hey guys," David said, walking down the ramp with the roll of Yafutoman parchment in his hand. "It's certainly been a while. Love what you've done to the island, Izmael. As for you, Brabham... here's something to help you refit the _Delphinus_. Early birthday gift." He held out the scroll, and the gangly old engineer took it, unfurling it and glancing over its contents.

Brabham began to quiver as he read over the Valuan translations of each instruction. "By the Moons," He gasped. "These plans... these plans are for the fastest engine I've seen in my life! It's all laid out here! With this foreign engine system, you could go... above or below the clouds, certainly! Maybe more! How did you obtain such technology?"

"We got it from the Yafutomans, who live in the lands under the Blue Moon," Aika explained. "Naomi, c'mere! Brabham is suitably impressed with your blueprint."

"And this will work?" The man asked to the Tenkou officer as she approached. He ignored her foreign clothes or appearance, all of that lost in this amazing discovery. "Has it been tested?"

"It is an age-old formula from my people," Naomi verified, nodding soberly. "It will work."

"How soon can you start upgrading the engines?" Vyse asked.

"Right away," The old man replied. "I'll get to work on this ASAP. We'll get the armor reinforced, the frame re-welded into alignment, the cannons adjusted, these amazing engines installed, and even a fresh coat a paint. I'll only need a week for it, too!" He winked. "But I'll need to get going now. We've had some of those Nasr Army boys staying around to help us with the lifting and stuff, I'll go talk to em... in the meantime, relax and enjoy your new base. Not like you'll be goin' anywhere for a while, heh."

Aika smirked. "Hey, Vyse." Vyse looked over, from experience wary when Aika looked clever. "Maybe you should take some time off, with Fina. I know I will. Hey, if it'll help, I'll be there too and help, huh?"

"Thanks for the offer," Vyse deadpanned, hoping to hide his faint blush. "But first I think we ought to plan out what we're gonna do now. You know, official stuff."

"I thought you might say that," Izmael said, walking up to them. "So I had a meeting room constructed for ya! It's on the surface, there's a lift that'll take you up to it. It's a real nice place, you can go there to strategize and all that."

"You even built a meeting room?" Enrique asked, joining the others through the crowd of people debarking. "Izmael, you are the best builder I've seen in my life, including all the carpenters at the Royal Palace back home." The prince paused for a moment. "And considerably cheaper to fund, as well. Maybe when I'm Emperor you could be the Chief Architect."

"That sounds great! Ba-bam!" The dwarf spun around. "Vyse, you keep the gold coming in and I'll keep upgrading! I'm planning to have these buildings replaced with solid stone constructs by the end of your next mission. I'll also add on to the docks to give it more facilities for the ship."

"Let's get everyone," Vyse said. They found Fina, Naomi, and David, bringing them along to the surface. When they emerged from the mouth of the cave into the bright sunlight of the morning, they had to shield their eyes in surprise. "So bright..." He groaned. "Gonna turn me into a bat down there." They took a look around all the buildings. Even though they were made of timbers, they were sturdy and looked comfortable enough, with beds and cots enough for everyone.

It wasn't hard to spot the meeting room elevator. It sliced right up the huge rocky cliff, to the balcony they had seen from the ship coming in. David stepped up first, and the lift quickly elevated him to the balcony. He stepped off and waved, signaling for the next person to come up. Fina was slightly nervous with the machine, but Vyse reassured her and she stepped forward.

Everyone made it up safely. The meeting room had several windows, but they were all shuttered. The door was open, and Vyse pushed it in, looking around. He whistled again. "Wow. Nice place." The room was wooden, and had a long rectangular table in the center with several comfortable chairs. The table held many maps, charts, and paper for reference. Under the table was a royal-red carpet over a marble checkerboard floor. A Valuan chandelier hung with splendor from the ceiling, casting nearly perfect lighting onto everything. A model of a _Spectre_-class ship sat to one side, along with shelves for rows of books and the paintings that hung from the walls.

"Real nice," Aika said, running around it and checking out the shelving and the model ship. "This thing is amazingly detailed! Must have cost us some considerable gold."

"Have a seat," Vyse said, pulling out the chair at the head of the table and sitting down. "Let's get down to business, and after that we can gawk. Fina, what's our next target?" Everyone sat down, looking towards the Silvite girl. Cupil squeaked at the attention, conveying her feelings like a conduit as usual.

She pondered for a moment. "We have the Silver, Green, Red, and Blue Crystals, which means only two more remain: Yellow and Purple."

"I'm not sure about you all, but I'm in no mood to visit Valua again until we absolutely have to," David spoke his mind, examining the maps idly. "And I'm sure the Empire returns our warm feelings. Plus, didn't you tell me about that Great Seal thing blocking the way? Even the _Delphinus_ would have trouble with it. So let's get the Purple Crystal." He motioned towards an area of the map to the far south. "This is the domain of the Purple Moon, which controls Cold in all its forms. There's plenty of rumors about icy continents, and we know that Valuan research teams have discovered at least a small continent down there. Other than that, we don't have much to go on."

"The Purple Civilization was located there in the Old World," Fina said. "The capital was called Glacia, and it was an underground city. The Rains of Destruction didn't even touch it. If we can find the city, it should be just like it was three thousand years ago... and I'm sure the Purple Crystal will be there."

"The Empire never had much interest in the icy continent," Enrique said. "The few research teams we sent couldn't break through the thick layers of ice, but they did report sighting several odd monsters down there. If we're going, we should be careful."

"Won't it be cold that far south?" Aika asked, blinking. "I heard that it was so cold there that a person could freeze in moments!"

"It will be very cold," David replied. "Maybe not cold enough to freeze us solid, at least in moments... but yeah. Colder than that Yafutoman mountain. Way below the freezing point of water. Enrique, does the _Delphinus_ have heaters and insulation?"

"Yes," Enrique nodded. "The northern regions of Valua and the Unknown Territories can get very cold, and the _Delphinus_ was engineered to keep me comfortable even in such conditions." He chuckled self-consciously. "Mother didn't want me catching a cold up there."

"Um... I just wanted to say something..." Fina looked down, and bowed to them as much as she could. "Thank you all so very much for your help. Without you I would have never been able to amass these Crystals..." Cupil bobbed in the air next to her.

Aika smiled genuinely. "C'mon Fina, you don't have to thank us! This kind of adventure is every Blue Rogue's dream."

"Yeah," Vyse agreed. "You're our friend, and we're glad to help. Plus, busting Valua's nose at every opportunity is _fun_."

"I don't know if you've realized it yet, Fina, but your quest has helped all of us," Naomi said. "Even though I haven't been with you all long, I can still tell you it's been an honor."

"Ok, so we move out for Glacia in a week, after Brabham finishes his work on the ship," Vyse decided in conclusion. "Until then, the crew can slack off in whatever manner they choose." He leaned back in his chair, resting his boots comfortably on the table. "This is our land now."


	15. Postlude and Finally

Chapter Fifteen- Postlude/Finally

Ah, and we're at the end of another book! Sudden, but I felt this was a good place to stop. Thanks for reading this part of the story that has over 100,000 words on it (booyah:D) Stay tuned for Book Five:_Skies of Arcadia Legends: Amethyst Lightning_. If you haven't left a review yet, you better! If you have... more the merrier! Reviews are like crack, remember, only without the negative side-effects. (Minus withdrawals. Authors do get those...)

Thanks and plushies of _all_ the crew to all my reviewers: majinbuu7985, Traiden, Arcon1, SoraHyrin58203, Desert Lynx, Lord Elecian, Valglory, Greki, Aki Iokua, Lee - Luthorne - Dis, Akina Rose Sumora, and skyraptor66. Without all of your wonderful support, my inspiration would be probably dead in a ditch near Branson, Missouri by now. I'll keep fighting for ya'll.

Lemony ahead. VysexFina fans, rejoice in the streets! I might be rusty but the peeps are spoken, so here we go. Another journey into the magical land of teenage lust, after a few well-laid plan goes off without a hitch... thin reasons for lemony goodness FTW!

Extra special thanks and love to my girlfriend, Jess, who helped inspire me and aid me in the last part of this chapter. Without her it would have taken me severely longer and it'd be twice as crappy :)

So, anyway, the next book is in progress. Until then... final chapter, engage!

0-0

The_ Delphinus_ had a really large crew. Vyse hadn't really acknowledged how many people followed his command until the first lunch in Crescent Island's Mess Hall. It was a wooden cabin, but Polly and Urala had assured him that they could use its resources to whip up a feast. Izmael had been sure to build in several large tables and plenty of chairs to accommodate everyone.

Many people were seated to either side of their captain, the din of their talking a constant background noise. Vyse grinned. "We must have thirty, forty people here, David."

"More than that, if I count the kids and Pow," The Vice Captain said, watching the purple Huskra scramble under tables and eagerly consume anything that was tossed overboard. From Merida, dancing on a raised platform for the entertainment of the masses, to Lawrence, who sat by himself as he ate, the widest range of people were visible. Princess Moegi and Prince Enrique were currently enduring the friendly teasing of Aika, and occasionally he would see their faces go as red as her hair. Marco, Pinata and Maria sat at a smaller kids' table, Maria's Hamachou bouncing near her indolently. Izmael and Brabham were indoctrinating Hans and Kirala, who seemed eager to learn from the older generation. Osman secreted several pieces of silverware away to turn a profit on later, but Vyse caught it and made a note to talk to her later about her fencing Polly's stuff. His Vice Captains sat across from him, David explaining the Mid Ocean dishes to Naomi.

Currently, the member of his crew that he was focusing on most was Fina. Even as he ate quickly and in great volume he found his gaze returning to the beautiful Silvite. She noticed this, and occasionally their eyes met and a profound uncomfortable feeling would float over them. As he had angrily thought the first day they met Fina, he recited the mantra:_Damn these hormones to Deep Sky_. Surprisingly, this didn't help.

Don had been sampling the loqua, which was of no surprise to anyone with eyes. The Esperanzan chuckled, having a seat next to Lawrence. The mercenary obviously wanted to be alone, but that never much mattered to the newer pilot. "Ey, check those two out," He said, nodding subtly to Vyse and Fina. "Notice anything awry?"

"It's been obvious for months," Lawrence replied deadpan, eating the neatly-sliced bits of steak in a detached manner. "Aika's been with both of them, far as I can tell. Not that I'm interested."

"Course not," The man hiccuped and waved his gloved hand, grinning. "But what if that keeps on going? It's different, dontcha think? What'f it interferes with their job performance. Then it would be your issue, and you could help me with my _plan_."

"Plan?" He echoed, cocking an eyebrow under his flowing jet-black locks. He paused to take a small sip of his own Green Loqua and looked towards Don.

"Nothing too complicated. Heh, can't really think that complex when the juice is acting up 'side me. 'Neway, we just put a little of my special loqua grinds into their own drinks. Nothing too bad, just a little behavioral loosener. Help 'em relax, kick back, maybe _resolve_ all that tension. Polly and Aika think it's a _great_ idea, y'know."

"Well, if Aika's endorsing a plan, it must be the height of genius," The stoic pilot replied in his best sarcastic voice. Even with the biting cynicism clear, Don still snorted in amusement. "... If you were to implement this plan, it would need to keep their motor functions intact."

"Thought of that," He dismissed. "Everything's in place. I just needed someone help me deliver it. 'Case you ain't noticed, me and stealth aren't a good combination." He pulled out two small white packages. "Pour a little bit into each. Not the whole bag, although that'd be plenty amusin' too. So, whadya think? Gonna go for it?" He wiggled his eyebrows in what Lawrence assumed was meant to be an encouraging manner.

"Why don't you get Piastol to do it? She's the stealthiest person on the entire island. Even I couldn't find her if she didn't allow it." He stopped eating, signaling Don now had as much of his attention as he could ever hope for.

"I don't think I ought to be talking at her for a while," Don sighed. "Accidentally got her upset yesterday."

"That's a formula for long life."

"Yeah. But she was more sad n' angry. Vyse wasn't too happy, and the Doc looked sad something fierce too. Something goin' on between those two? Piastol and Doc, that is. Heh."

"Only if incest gets his goat. Adopted relation."

"Ah."

"Maybe if she feels bad, you can ask her to do it. She might try and 'redeem' herself and all that. She'd practically take a bullet for Vyse cause he forgave her sins. You could also try pointing out that it'd be helping those two get over a crippling lack of initiative." Lawrence sighed. All of this talking and sociability was annoying him, even if he was a participant in the event. "In other words, get her to do it somehow. I don't feel like getting caught." In truth, he didn't think he could do it with the small Loqua content in his system, either.

"Aight. Thanks for your _help_," Doc sneered, chuckling. "Where is she? Probably be handy to know that, lookin' for her n' all."

"Moons if I know. Try the most secluded place on the entire island." Lawrence pondered the possible outcomes to this situation. Either: Don would offend Piastol some more, and possibly get himself hurt, or Piastol would get Vyse and Fina to finally sex each other and their minds would be at least partially back to their responsibilities._Win, win_.

0-0

It had been there even when Vyse first shipwrecked on the island, and Izmael had converted it into Crescent Isle's main supply depot. The large, circular cavern was cut into the side of the crescent cliff face, and held hundreds of wood and metal crates. Tarps covered barrels bound together by rope, holding water, loqua, juices and oil. There were also slots to put in torches, but currently there were none and the cavern was shrouded in inky darkness.

Don gathered up his courage, assisted by the fine loqua brew waiting in the bottle in his hand. Going into the dark with Piastol wasn't something he particularly looked forward to, but he honestly wanted to help Vyse and Fina, and clear the air. "Piastol? Are you in 'ere?" The pilot had been everywhere else on Crescent Island, so he already knew the answer.

"Yes." She was on the ground, leaning against one of the many supply crates and facing away from the opening that spilled light into the cavern.

"Come to have a talk," Don said, as gently as he could manage. "Can't rightly talk to the dark, can you come over here, please?" There was no reply. "Look, I know I was some kinda heartless, but it was just a shock... can't we talk?" He heard the soft patter of her boots against the packed earth floor and smiled. She came into view in the shadows directly before him, still silent, and with her white hair over her eyes.

She was taller than most girls, Don noted to himself, and she was a little above eye-level. This didn't help at all, but he strained himself not to show his anxiety. The last thing he needed was to ruin any chance at diplomacy with her. "Um... so... guess I should just say it. Piastol, I'm sorry I got you so upset, I didn't realize... well, a lota things. Just hadn't sunk in. Didn't know you were gonna react like that, and it's made me feel an awful bad fellow."

"... I can understand why you would think what you did." She turned to the side, looking out into nothingness. "It's not incorrect to think that. Really, I should be better able to cope with it now."

"What? But Vyse vouched for you, everyone says that you're a way better person," Don objected, refraining from burping at the most inopportune of times. "I'm hopin' we can both put this behind us, as I got no problem with you 'ne more."

"Very well." Piastol nodded, facing him again. "Let's try again. I am Piastol, a member of the _Delphinus_' crew."

Don chuckled. "Wash-out pilot Don reporting for 'duty'. A pleasure, I'm sure." He stuck out his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, she grasped it firmly. "Couple of people in the Mess Hall were a little worried, y'know. You ain't joining in the feast."

"I'm not all that hungry," She said, but then her stomach rumbled slightly and she kicked herself for her lack of discipline. "Well, perhaps a little."

"Then c'mon," He encouraged. "And I have a favor to ask of you, as well..."

0-0

Everyone was happy to see Piastol finally join them, of course. Vyse tried to stop her, but she insisted on bringing him and Fina their drinks. Aika had joined them, but had gotten a refill earlier and declined. She walked over to Polly's counter, where she subtly handed off the packets to her. "This seems so deceptive," She whispered, disdainful. "I don't like to lie to the Captain."

"You ain't lying," Polly smirked. "He never asked weither you spiked his drink. Pour in just a pinch, just a dab. Then take it there quick. We won't interfere any further, just let nature run its course."_ Maybe Vyse will cheer up once he's a bit more honest_.

Saying nothing further, the former bounty huntress took the two cups back to their table, placing them before Vyse and Fina. "Thanks," Vyse said, smiling happily. "It's glad to see you're feeling better, too, Piastol."

"Thank you for your concern," She said, bowing and hiding her face. "It was nothing... I will grab myself a plate, now." She did so, collecting a few pieces of spare food and looking around for a place to sit. Most of the seats were occupied, but Lawrence's table remained open. She walked up, looking at the long-haired pilot. "Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Only if you don't mind not talking," Lawrence replied. This flew well with Piastol, who still wasn't terribly social most times.

Vyse was beginning to second-guess his own judgement, a rare event given his legendary confidence. He had distanced himself slightly from Aika and Fina, as he thought a Captain should properly do. Aika's reaction was to be expected- she wanted the old, regular teenager back with her. Fina also seemed a bit sad at this chance, which was a surprise. Somehow, the thought of doing with Fina what he did with Aika the last time they were on the island was... odd. Certainly pleasant, but a little confusing.

Even he noticed the lady-like Fina's signs. According to Aika's harassment, she felt ready, and he was the gum in the works. Despite this, he remained reluctant to advance any further, almost as if in a rut. With these thoughts on his mind he sipped his juice, and found he quite liked the flavor. He was soon swallowing it down at a prestigious rate. Fina did likewise, eating quietly.

Aika grinned. "Hey, I'm feeling kinda tipsy. Wanna come with, Fina?" She leaned over, putting an arm around Fina, who colored decently. "Vyse?"

"No thanks," Vyse said flatly. "You're too drunk to do anything anyhow." He ignored a slightly odd feeling on the edges of his mind and shook his head to clear it.

"Maybe you're correct," The redhead admitted, clumsily pecking Fina's rose-colored cheek. "I am rather drowsy, even though it's only a few until nine."

"I'd rather go down early than late when loqua is involved," Vyse said, rising from his own seat and tucking his chair back in. Fina followed suit, and they helped her out of the Mess Hall. They made it across the short space to the living quarters, taking her up the gentle ramp of the wooden building. The sun was just setting, bathing everything in fiery red hues across the sky.

Aika really did feel a little out of it, but not as much as she made it seem to them. She figured this would be one of the more plausible ways to remove herself from the situation. _There'll be another time, possibly during the week... but right now, this looks to be a personal matter between these two_. The redhead hiccuped and said, "Thanks for the help, guys."

"No problem," Vyse assured her quickly. "You know the old saying." Blue Rogues had a lot of sayings, new and old, so he elaborated. "'When you can't run, you crawl. When you can't crawl...'"

"'You find someone to carry you'," Aika finished. "Yeah. Or two very pretty someones."

"It's not pretty, it's handsome," He corrected her, shoving her lightly into her room and onto her bed. "Go pass out now, and try not to puke on the sheets. Cause you'll have to clean em later." With that cheery pronouncement, he shut the door behind him. "Honestly, after last time you think she'd know better."

"Last time?" Fina quietly asked.

"Yeah." He chuckled nervously. "I'm sure Aika told you about that sometime, huh?"

"Yes, she did," The Silvite said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but was hesitating to do so. "You two made love, and I have with her..." Even blushing, she struggled to keep a firm grip on her resolve. Regularly she wouldn't have spoken at all, but something else also emboldened her. "And we feel the same way about each other, don't we?"

"... Yeah," Vyse said, looking away from her. "Fina, I really like you. Like, love. But it is a little different from Aika..." The teenager was fabricating on the fly, anything to put a little distance up.

"How so?" This time he detected hints of nervousness. "Vyse... am I not as good as Aika? Is that why you don't want to? I've been trying to learn from her, honestly, and I want to show you."

_Oh, man._ He rued the thoughts that came to mind, which were messing up his plan in a severe way. "First off, you're just as good as Aika to me, Fina. I wouldn't lie to you about anything, much less something like this. It isn't that, at all. It's just..." He let out a long sigh. "I don't think we should." Even in his own mind his rationale started sounding a little flawed.

"But_why_ not?" She insisted more forcefully than she usually spoke. Fina also took a step closer to him.

He honestly couldn't find any words in his defense. After a long pause of consideration, he looked back up into her eyes. What he saw there was unmistakable. Voice finally returned to his throat. "Tried to be proper and all of that. Starting to realize how that isn't going to work out. Mainly because I have a beautiful, beautiful girl urging me to have sex with her, and that's tough to decline."

Apparently her new courage wasn't complete. She blushed again and said, "I only believe it is the right thing to do in our situation. And because it would be very pleasurable."

"That's the goal, yeah." Vyse closed the remaining, surprisingly short, distance between them. Vyse wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling them completely together as he kissed her. The teenager was neither forceful or gentle, but gladly tasted the last bits of loqua on her lips. He had to force himself to remember to breathe regularly through the nose.

Fina shivered in delight, practically melting into the boy's arms, her lips soft and sweet against his. She pressed herself closer to him, feeling his heart beating against his chest. Even though the Silvite's mind was fogged over, Cupil exhibited no reaction but a mild boredom as it floated above them. She had been training to temporarily weaken their link, for just such an occasion, to spare the poor creature a mental meltdown.

He hadn't even kissed her in so long, but easily remembered the familiar feeling of her against him. One of his arms shifted downwards, around her back. Very quickly he felt his own arousal, and was sure she could too, but focused himself upon the kiss. He wished to the Moons it would never end, and did his best to keep at it for so long.

She blushed, indeed feeling it pressing against her but too engorged in the passionate kiss to do much about it. Her tongue softly skirted over his lips, in a curious sort of manner, hands slipping down to rest on his hips.

Vaguely he realized what he was tasting, and thought that they had intentionally avoided such a thing. These minor thoughts were nothing compared to the sensations he felt, and he ignored them in favor of focusing on her taste, scent, and feel. His mouth opened more, allowing his own tongue to flick itself against hers.

She squirmed softly, finding the sensation rather ticklish and pleasant. "V-Vyse...?" she whispered, breath light on his lips. "We should go somewhere else.."

"It's my base," He said in a heated breath between kisses, grinning impishly. "But we might need a bed for this." Luckily for them, the barracks' second floor, where they now stood, also held both of their rooms. The door to Fina's quarters was only a handful of feet away, and he took her hands, leading her quickly inside. She stumbled after him, holding tightly to his hand, fingers laced together. Cupil followed idly, wondering what they were up to.

Vyse didn't pay any attention to the floating silver balloon-being, but instead lavished his care upon its owner. Once the wooden door swung shut, he was at her again, with more intensity than before and his tongue fully conquering her mouth. Fina let the little being know, at the very least, that they wanted privacy. He huffed a bit, sitting outside. The timid girl gasped softly at his assault, hands resting softly on his arms.

Vyse honestly couldn't see why he'd been holding himself back before. His mouth disconnected just long enough to descend. Although her neck was covered by the top collared bit of her white dress, there was an open triangle of flesh directly above her breasts that he licked and suckled. At the same time, his hands began to work on the golden collar, having difficulty with the alien mechanism.

Fina blushed considerably, back arching ever so slightly towards his leanly-muscled body. Her nimble hands ran down his chest smoothly, head tilted back to allow him further access. There was still a tiny part of her that squealed and said that she shouldn't be doing this, but to heck with it.

He had always been a handy lock-pick, and luck favored him. The metal choker clicked and opened, falling backwards. It took the cloth with it, revealing the upper parts of her delicate, pale skin. Vyse continued his journey, mouth personally exploring every single inch of her that he could reach. As if the feeling of her hands, skin, and mouth weren't enough, the look of pure ecstasy on her beautiful face only served to inflame him more. The dress was now beginning to fall from Fina more with his free hand's assistance.

The girl shivered, arms wrapping around herself lightly in meekness, the exposure new to her. "Nnngh...Vyse.." _Oh, Moons..._

"Don't hide it," He whispered, looking up into her eyes. "I wanna see all of you, Fina." It didn't seem possible that such a beautiful creature existed, but here she was before him, laid almost bare as the wisps of alien white cloth flowed away. Fina blushed, shyly letting her arms slide away from her body, revealing her in full. She still blushed, but gently leaned into Vyse with a shiver, the fresh air cool on her skin.

Even under the sway of the Red Moon, the chilling air of the night had begun to seep into the wooden building. Vyse was more than happy to act as her warmth, rapidly unbuttoning his blue tunic. He kissed her again, with a quieter intensity, before shedding the tunic and undershirt to reveal his upper body.

With ginger curiosity she pressed her lips to his warm flesh, first at his throat then trailing down to his heart. He was so warm and smooth against her lips... It was his turn to blush and shiver. Only once before had anyone ever been so close to his heart, but like the last time it was a welcome encounter. His leather belt came off in moments, falling to the floor amongst his tunic, and the pants were not slow to follow. He made all possible haste to undress, pressing against her.

Her tender body was warm to him, yielding to each touch. As he became quite nude she shyly tucked her head under his chin, blushing deep.

"Hey Fina," He gasped, drawing in a deep breath in a vain attempt to stay calm as he slowly walked over to Fina's large, soft bed.

"Y-Yes?" she whispered, looking up to him, passion in her eyes. "What is it, Vyse?"

"I love you." He smiled his earnest, most sincere smile, and wrapped his arms around her once again. "Taken me a while to get my head out my ass. Let's enjoy that together."

"I...I love you too.." she stuttered, gently pressing into him again, leg brushing against his arousal. "Shall we?"

"Sure. Did Aika teach you how a man and woman do it, too?" His grin turned slightly teasing as he leaned further down, touching one of her nipples with his tongue for the shortest of seconds before pulling back. "Or do we need to take it slow?"

She gasped, shuddering in amazed delight at how good that had felt. "I-I know how, Vyse...But...be gentle..."

"I will," He swore. Even with his desire paining him in the most delicate of regions, he could never think of being rough with Fina. Fina was all that was gentle and good, and was a soothing spirit even now. That didn't make him so tame as to not, say, lick her other nipple, and this time remain

to suck on it while laying her on the bed.

She moaned softly, squirming about a bit. "A-Ah...Vyse..." she whispered, watching him with her mind filled with strange, tangled thoughts.

His sense of balance was excellent, and he could massage one of her breasts, suckle the other, and position the rest of his body above her simultaneously while having only the most gentle and controlled touches for her. This precision meant he had to ignore his longing for just a while longer, even thought he was getting quite anxious. It was now almost totally dark, night having fallen and left them in the shadows of each other.

Suddenly Cupil slid into the room as a ribbon, a bit alarmed by his master's soft moans. Fina blushed and giggled, quickly explaining to the confused creature what was going on. With the innocence of a small child, the shape-shifter quickly recalled that time. It chirped happily and offered to 'help' them in any way it could, and thought of some possible shapes to send to her mind. Vyse looked over, pausing for a moment in his ministry to her divine body. The pirate blinked twice. "... Cupil?" He said.

She nodded, now really blushing. "He...um...wants to help." she explained with a crooked little smile. "And he's quite creative."

"Help?" Vyse blinked, then he said, "...You mean..." He took another moment to ponder, and then grinned wickedly. "Sounds good to me." His knee found itself between her legs, pressing ever so slightly upwards on reflex.

She gasped, back arching as he pressed against a most sensitive area. Fina relayed to Cupil the 'ok' from Vyse, wondering what he'd do. Suddenly a cool, thin ribbon slid along both their bodies, feeling almost like a liquid. It was Cupil who was, admitted, curious.

Vyse shivered at the cool touch, but chuckled. "Hope he learns a lot of stuff," He said. "But we still have something to take care of, Fina..." He pressed himself into her thigh and nibbled her ear. "And I'm not a very patient person."

She moaned gently, mumbling "Yes..." Cupil slid around their arms and waists, exploring.

"Maybe Cupil can learn how to do this, too," He suggested as he carefully aligned their hips, and pressed downwards, into her. Despite the fact that neither were virgins, it felt to him like it was so, and thus he was overtly slow and cautious in his first thrust.

She moaned into his ear, slowly adjusting to the position. Cupil, a little alarmed, slid around Vyse's most vulnerable area, as if making sure both were ok.

He was, of course, better than ok, and Cupil felt like a human hand sliding around his shaft. Combined with the feeling of being inside the warm, tight space, it made him shiver and curse involuntarily out of pleasure. A moment later he pulled mostly out and pushed in again, a little more urgently. Fina shuddered, gently pulling him in a bit further, eager now as well. Another moan spilled from her lips as Cupil now decided to see if she was ok, slipping into her a bit.

The man pushed all of his considerable length in, pulling out and repeating, developing his tempo in time with the movement of her hips. His mind was now devoted exclusively to that task, nearly forgetting Cupil's existence, except a dim note that he would make a good condom when the time came. He felt the pressure build up until he could scarcely bear it, but forced himself with all of his will not to cum yet. She gasped and moaned encouragingly into his ear, gripping his hips to keep herself steady. Cupil slithered around their legs, playful now.

"Cupil, Back, In," Vyse ordered, punctuating each word with another penetration. He would love to one day have children, but a pregnancy now would be incredibly inconvenient and dangerous.

"Fina..." He gasped, his voice more gentle now, as he began to quake. Cupil slid back in, wrapping around Vyse's length gently. Intuitive lil' bugger. She was begging for release by now, body pressed tightly into his.

Vyse pushed in one more time, and then suddenly his mind snapped and went utterly blank. Every muscle convulsed and then relaxed, his seed spreading safely inside Cupil. Vyse let out a long, raspy and contented sigh. Fina shuddered and moaned softly, muscles quaking at the release of pressure. Her body went limp against his, soft and pale as a doll.

Their breathing entwined, the only sound beyond Cupil's light squeaking in the dark, cool room.

Vyse was beyond exhausted, his fatigue so overwhelming he could barely lift his head to gaze once more into Fina's eyes. Fina sighed happily. Cupil unwound, returning to his bulbous form, quite wet now. "Cupil needs a bath," Vyse chuckled. She nodded with a breathy giggle.

Fina bade Cupil to go clean himself, snuggling further into the comforting warmth of her lover. The creature formed its usual tail-wielding balloon form and floated off, twittering happily as it mirrored the extremely happy emotions of its user.

Nothing else needed to be said, and they sat in silence until both were sleeping, entwined deeply on the bed. Some time after she was sure they were asleep, Aika gently pushed open the door and walked in, smiling. "Finally," She whispered, more to herself than anything. She grabbed a spare sheet from the corner of the room and draped it over both of them, to keep them warm. The redhead felt like such a mother that she couldn't resist kissing each lightly as well.

She pondered joining them, but realized even in their state they would be disturbed and awoken. _Another time_, she reminded herself. _I'll get to hear those delicious cries from both of you, at once. But for now, I am fairly drunk and tired_.

Outside the room, Don, Polly and Piastol were all waiting for her. She giggled and nodded. "It actually worked. Thanks for all your help, even if they feel bad about our little scheme in the long run they'll be so thankful."

The pilot chuckled. "Anything for friends. Luckily we didn't use the whole thing, or we'd need a new barracks about now, heh."

Piastol looked away. "Although my part in this was small, I am glad that I was able to help."

Polly said, "This is just like one of the plays they put on in my tavern's stage sometimes. I hope this one has a happy ending..." She peeked in. "Ah, yup." Pulling the door closed, the cook chuckled.

Most of the crew turned in early, besides Brabham, who decided to get to work tonight on the first jobs of repair and refit. Crescent Isle, with its new inhabitants and purpose, was once again laid at peace amongst the night skies of the Unknown Regions. In a week, their mission would resume once again, and their war with Valua would continue.

**TO BE CONTINUED**.


End file.
